Google is going to launch certificate course, Which might replace 4-year degree
Google is going to disrupt the conventional form of higher education system across the globe. In a very new initiative/step named “Google Career Certificate“, The tech giant is offering professional courses on job ready skill to all.
These Google certificate also come with a promise of a connection to “top national employers who are hiring for related roles”.
Google mentions the Certificates in a blog post, stating the addition of three new courses in it, that of Data Analyst, Project Manager and UX Designer. These certificates will be added soon to the existing one – IT Support Specialist, though Google has not mentioned a specific date yet.
What are Google Certificates?
Career Certificates by Google can be considered as a concise and very specific course on a particular skill set, as the names mentioned above suggest. While a regular higher education degree can take years, these certificates tend to impart the skill in a course of around 6 months.
Google, however, allows the learners to choose their own pace and timeline. As for its IT support program, Google mentions that an average learner completes it “in three-to-six months.”
Another big plus offered by the certificates is that there is no pre-requisite for a four-year degree to opt for these certificates. Google mentions that “61% of learners enrolled do not have a four-year degree.” Moreover, these certificates are completely online and there are no “in-person requirements.”
Introducing new Google Career Certificates, coming soon
Data Analyst
Data analysts make use of data to help inform important business decisions. They prepare, process, and analyze data for key insights, share their findings with stakeholders, and provide data-driven recommendations for effective action.
This certificate helps learners develop confidence navigating the data lifecycle using tools and platforms to process, analyse, visualize and gain insights from data.
$66,000
The median annual wage for data analysts
Project Manager
Project managers are responsible for planning and overseeing projects to ensure they are completed efficiently with maximum quality and value added to the business.
This certificate focuses on the foundations of traditional project management, while also offering insight into agile project management.
$93,000
The median annual wage for project managers1
UX Designer
User experience (UX) designers make technology easier and more enjoyable to use. They create or refine products and interfaces to make them useful, usable, and accessible to users.
This certificate teaches learners the foundations of UX design and research, building low-fidelity designs and wireframes, creating high-fidelity prototypes, and testing.
$75,000
The median annual wage for UX designers
How do they help?
Google Career Certificates have been designed to bridge the gap between the knowledge gained from college degrees and the real-life skill sets required in a job. The certificates are thus well targeted towards building one’s career with the “top employers” as per Google.
Once a program finishes, Google promises to support the applicants in their job search. It mentions that participants can “share information directly with top employers hiring for jobs in these fields.” These employers in the US include Walmart, Best Buy, Intel, Bank of America and others.
Google, of course, does not leave itself out of it. In fact, Kent Walker, SVP of Global Affairs at Google, in a tweet claimed that Google’s own hiring will now treat these new career certificates “as the equivalent of a four-year degree for related roles.”
Even if not for a job, Google will have “Hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities at Google for people completing these career certificate programs,” Walker states in a Google blog. These opportunities are currently restricted to the US though.
IT Support Specialist
IT support is all about troubleshooting and problem solving when technology fails us, and providing great customer service along the way. Specialists support everything from networking to operating systems, and system administration to security in the workplace.
80% of learners in our Google IT Support Professional Certificate program in the U.S. report a career impact within 6 months, such as finding a new job, getting a raise, or starting a new business.
- No degree or prior experience is required: 61% of learners enrolled do not have a four-year degree.
- Set your own pace and timeline: The average learner completes the IT support program in three-to-six months.
- Learn from anywhere: The courses are 100% online, and there are not any in-person requirements.
This certificate is a launchpad to a career in IT.
$54,760
The median annual wage for IT support specialists