Google Joins Forces With Coursera to Tackle ICT Skills Gap

Technology giant Google has teamed up with education-focused technology company Coursera to train Americans in information and communications technology jobs, including those without college degrees.

“Once people complete the certificate, they can opt in to share their information directly with top employers, including Bank of America, Walmart, Sprint, GE Digital, PNC Bank, Infosys, TEKSystems, UPMC, and of course, Google, all who are looking to hire IT support talent,” said Google in a blog post.

Monthly training costs US$49 for each participant, but Google says it will finance the learning expenses of 10,000 people. Over the course of the training program, participants will also be taught about customer service, networking, operating systems, system administration, automation, and security.

An invitation to take part in the program on the Coursera website says: “Whether you’ve been tinkering with IT or are completely new to the field, you’ve come to the right place.”

The US economy has been heavily disrupted by technology, which has resulted in an increase in entry-level IT jobs in companies in all sectors.

The lack of skilled technology talent has turned out to be a major hurdle for many US firms that are scaling up operations. American employers are also struggling to find general workers in other fields, says a recent survey by the Federal Reserve.

“The skills gap can no longer be ignored as a major force driving world events,” said Rick Levin, CEO of Coursera, when his company launched a global effort to address the skill gap early last year. “Millions of people lack the skills needed for new and better jobs, and increasing automation will only widen the gap.”