Google announces more Coursera certs and possible scholarships

[MNomadic]

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/13/google-a...nd-ux.html

https://grow.google/certificates/


The 3 new certs are:

Data Analyst

Project Manager

UX Designer


Similar to when Google announced its Google IT Support cert in 2018, these will be accompanied by scholarships to help underrepresented people gain access to the new certs:

The tech giant has committed to funding 100,000 need-based scholarships for individuals enrolled in any of these career certificate programs and will be awarding over $10 million in grants to YWCA, NPower and JFF — three nonprofits that partner with Google to provide workforce development to women, veterans and underrepresented Americans.

Without the scholarship, the certs have a subscription based model of $49/month until you complete them. Let's hope google also seeks ACE recommendation and/or college partnerships just as they did for the IT Support Cert. 

---

The certificates are created and taught by Google employees, do not require a college degree, can be completed in three to six months and are offered through the online learning platform Coursera. Google says it will consider all of its certificates as the equivalent of a four-year college degree for related roles at the company.

[MNomadic]

https://thisisreno.com/2020/07/google-an...sponsored/

Another article with some more information.

"Google will also create a hiring consortium for the new certificates, along with offering hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities at Google to provide graduates with on-the-job training. Starting this fall, the certificates will also be offered in Career and Technical Education high schools throughout America, starting with the IT Cert."

[Sparklette]

They finally fully launched. Most are $39 a month unless you qualify for their assistance waiver. The Android Developer is free access to material, but $150 to take the certification exam in the US.

https://grow.google/certificates/

[nomaduser]

Hopefully, more universities will accept those certs for RA credits.

[bluebooger]

No experience necessary
Learn job-ready skills, even with no relevant experience.

Project Management
Project managers ensure projects within an organization are managed and completed with maximum value.

Data Analytics
Data analysts collect, transform, and organize data in order to help make informed business decisions

No experience necessary
Learn job-ready skills, even with no relevant experience.

LOL, yeah, sure

[ss20ts]

I'm going to do the project management one. Stick it on my resume. I'm not expecting a $150,000 a year job offer because of the certificate.

[bjcheung77]

$39/month is affordable and these are more entry level certs, the $150 cert exam is cheaper/easier/faster to obtain than the major providers and Google just wants to get a piece of that pie, small piece, and then try to grow it... if they lowered that to $99, many more people would get that Android Development Cert.

[Johann]

$39/month is affordable and these are more entry level certs, the $150 cert exam is cheaper/easier/faster to obtain than the major providers and Google just wants to get a piece of that pie, small piece, and then try to grow it... if they lowered that to $99, many more people would get that Android Development Cert.

Sounds like a case for Groupon-Man! ...But wait a minute. Think of the present employment prospects for new lawyers, for a bit. Now, imagine all the law schools had a fire-sale and signed up Lord knows how many new applicants at bargain tuition. What would happen to the (already dim) job prospects of all those new law grads who got through on-the-cheap? Right - the jobs would not exist.

If what you suggest (price reduction) were in any way desirable - I'm pretty sure Google would have set their price accordingly. I'm not sure what you suggest is either true or desirable. Is a huge wave of Android developers desirable. A wave so immense that many can't be absorbed in the employment market, at least within a reasonable period,  or find decent-paying work as freelancers? I doubt the reduction to $99 is really significant or would actually cause more than a ripple, but if it did... potential bad mojo.

I'm sure Google has a handle on this and has set their strategy accordingly. They'll do fine without our two cents. What kind of data analysis went into this $99 scenario anyway? Not an easy job to come up with better marketing strategy than Google! They have some really brainy people there. Not saying I like everything they do --- but they're SMART.

What that Android cert. is actually worth depends quite a bit on how well it helps developers get jobs. I don't know - at all. If it's good for that - it's worth WAY more than $150. If it's only WORTH $99 - then perhaps it's not particularly useful. I like Android -- a bit, but I don't need a job, so I'll get the Dummies Book. They're great and cost a lot less. But I think I'll get the one on SWIFT first. I think the whole environment it works in - devices and OS -- is just better. But what do I know? I'm just an old fogey.

[rachel83az]

The Google certificates are included with Coursera Plus. So you can work on all of them (including the IT Support Professional one that's worth ACE credits) for one low price. I'm still not convinced that they're actually worth it, but at least you don't have to pay $39/mo. for each one if you want multiples.

[natshar]

Anyone know if any of them are worth ACE credit?