Google Canada Commits $2 Million to Reskill Job Seekers for New Careers in Technology in Under Six Months

Support includes three-year Google.org grant to NPower Canada, distributing 5,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships to underserved communities and providing funding to four Canadian nonprofits to support job training programs

TORONTO, May 17, 2021 /CNW/ - Today Google Canada announced a $2 million commitment in digital skills to train job seekers in Canada for new careers in technology in under six months. The support includes a three-year Google.org grant to NPower Canada to deliver Google Career Certificate programs and to deploy 5,000 need-based scholarships to access the program.

Unemployment rates among visible minority groups and youth ages 15-24 continue to be some of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Google Career Certificate scholarships will be distributed by NPower Canada, in collaboration with youth and workforce development nonprofits like Pathways to Education, Toronto Public Library and the YMCA, focusing on young Canadian adults from these underserved communities. To further support these initiatives, Google Canada will provide these nonprofits with additional funds to improve existing job training programs.

Google Career Certificates prepare job seekers for new, high-demand careers in growing sectors, with no degree or relevant experience required. The certificates were developed by Google employees as part of Grow with Google, a global initiative designed to create economic opportunities for all. The certificate programs are available in Data Analytics, Project Management, UX Design and IT Support. Outside of NPower Canada's programming, the certificates are delivered through the online learning platform Coursera and are available in English, with select programs available in French starting in 2022. Every certificate equips learners with theoretical and practical knowledge, and real-life problem-solving skills to be successful in an entry-level technology job.

"To help job seekers that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, we need to invest in skills training in jobs with demonstrable demand," says Sabrina Geremia, VP & Country Director, Google Canada. "Google Career Certificates build an onramp to great jobs with no degree or experience required, which helps break down barriers and create opportunities for underserved groups entering the tech workforce."

"Last year we began offering Google's IT Support Certificate, and currently 83% of youth who graduated in September 2020 are employed or in a new education post completion of the program," says Andrew Reddin, Chief Development Officer, NPower Canada. "These programs are filling a demand in the job market; according to Glassdoor, the fields supported by the Google Career Certificates currently have more than 22,000 job openings across the country today. The support from Google provides more opportunities for young adults to start their careers and participate in Canada's digital economy."

Since economic opportunity is all about access to jobs, Google Canada is also introducing a Google Career Certificate Employer Consortium for scholarship graduates. The Employer Consortium is a group of employers, including KPMG, TELUS, Google and Loblaw, who will consider graduates of NPower Canada's Google Career Certificate programs for eligible jobs. Employers interested in connecting with skilled candidates and growing their talent pipeline can join the Google Career Certificate Employer Consortium by visiting grow.google/employerform.

For more information on the Google Career Certificates visit g.co/certificates-canada. To find out more information about the scholarships visit NPower Canada's website.

About Google Canada
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. As a global technology leader, Google's innovations in web search and advertising have made its website a top internet property and its brand one of the most recognized in the world. Google Canada has offices in Waterloo, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa with over 2,000 Canadian Google employees working on teams across Engineering, AI Research, Sales and Marketing.

About Google Career Certificates:
The Google Career Certificates were developed by Googlers as part of Grow with Google, a global initiative designed to create economic opportunities. The certificate programs are available in Data Analytics, Project Management, UX Design, IT Support. Outside of NPower Canada's programming, the certificates are delivered through the online learning platform Coursera and are available in English, with select availability in French starting in 2022.

Supporting Quotes

"For 20 years, Pathways to Education has been supporting students from low-income communities across Canada to overcome barriers to high school graduation and lay the foundation for long-term success. We're excited for this opportunity to work alongside Google and other non-profits to provide our community of students with another avenue to continue on their path to becoming future leaders in Canada's workforce." - Sue Gillespie, President and CEO, Pathways to Education

"Preparing people for the workforce and supporting them throughout their careers is a priority for TPL, particularly in these challenging times. We do this by offering equitable access to services and programs that help people achieve their professional goals, and this partnership with NPower Canada and Google Canada will allow us to offer more workplace development opportunities to our young adult customers." – Vickery Bowles, City Librarian, Toronto Public Library

"YMCA Canada is delighted to be partnering with Google Canada and NPower Canada on this critical investment. The opportunity for underserved young adults to have access to the latest digital skills training programs available will undoubtedly bring them one step closer to securing meaningful careers in technology as soon as possible." -  Peter Dinsdale, President & CEO, YMCA Canada

"The pandemic has had a profound impact on Canada – technology is rapidly changing our economy and we require employees with new and advanced digital skills. But the pandemic has also further highlighted the social inequity that exists in our country. The Google Career Certificates program is an important initiative that will help reduce both the skills gap and social inequity by providing underserved Canadians access to quality, highly-valued education. KPMG is thrilled to be an Employer Partner on an initiative that advances inclusion and will help the country come back from this pandemic stronger and more resilient. We look forward to meeting with the next generation of Canadian tech talent." - Robert Davis, KPMG in Canada's Chair of the Board and Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer

"Technology continues to change the nature of the work done in our offices and our stores. In recent years, we have created more than 1,000 roles in our digital businesses, including hundreds in analytics and thousands more that support them in-store. We understand the importance of training people, including our colleagues, to make a more future-ready workforce. We're excited about the opportunity to work with Google on this program, and the pipeline of tech talent we're continuing to build in Canada." - David Markwell, Senior Vice President, Loblaw Technology

"By supporting Google's important job training program for underserved communities and youth, we want to help form the next generation of leaders in science and technology, while building Canada's digital future. TELUS offers great opportunities to develop skills and expertise across many high-growth fields and technologies, including 5G, cloud, and Internet of Things. We look forward to giving the next cohort of graduates the agility and speed they need to bring innovation to life." - Steven Banick, TELUS Vice-president, Technology Strategy Transformation Office

"Science, technology and innovation play a major role in our daily lives and, as we transition from pandemic response to recovery, they will form the backbone of our new economy. We're proud to support Google Canada, a founding member of CILAR, as it creates more pathways for underserved youth to help shape this new economy. This initiative advances CILAR's youth development work as we activate our coalition, making a difference for diverse communities at the grassroots level and inspiring further action across the innovation ecosystem. We are excited to see the impact our young talent will have on Canada's future."  - Yung Wu, CEO, MaRS and co-founder, Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism (CILAR)

SOURCE Google Canada

Media Contact: Wendy Manton, [email protected]