Google is now offering career certificates to upskill workforce globally

With more and more businesses moving over to the digital side thanks to the ongoing pandemic and the lockdown, it is estimated that more than half of all employees will need reskilling by 2025.

(FILES) In this file photo taken on May 16, 2019, a woman takes a picture with two smartphones in front of the logo of the US multinational technology and Internet-related services company Google as she visits the Vivatech startups and innovation fair, in Paris. - Google said on February 22, 2020 it would lift its ban on political ads on its platform imposed last month following the turmoil surrounding the violent uprising at the US Capitol. (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD / AFP) (AFP)

Google has started enrolments for its latest Google Career Certificates in data analytics, project management and user experience (UX) design. This is being done in an effort to bridge the skills gap in India.

These certificates should help Indian employers upskill their workforce as Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained in a blog post titled - “Career certificates and more ways we're helping job seekers”.

With more and more businesses moving over to the digital side thanks to the ongoing pandemic and the lockdown, it is estimated that more than half of all employees will need reskilling by 2025. According to Google, about 82% of graduates have said that the programs have helped them advance their careers within six months and this includes getting a raise, finding a new job and even starting a new business.

“We are also announcing a new Associate Android Developer Certification, which prepares learners for entry-level jobs in Android development. With 1.3 million jobs open in these fields right now in the US, the opportunity is significant," Pichai wrote.

Also, Google is sponsoring 100,000 scholarships for career certificates in Europe, Middle East and Africa and “In India, we're working to make certificates more accessible and launch an employer consortium," Pichai said.

Google is also making job search easier by adding a new job carousel highlighting relevant opportunities near users and are also working with job sites, i Glassdoor, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Snagajob and CareerBuilder, and other US employers to make education and experience requirements clearer on job postings. These updates are specific to the US for now.

Last year, Google announced a $10-billion fund for Google for India Digitization to help accelerate India's digital economy over the next five to seven years.