Eligible companies can apply for up to 500 free scholarships to help digitally upskill their employees. Google has announced plans to provide $100,000 worth of Google Career Certificates to US-based businesses that want to train their employees in data analytics, digital marketing, IT support, project management, or user experience (UX) design. Eligible organizations can apply for up to 500 scholarships each in a variety of digital skills. Google says that no previous experience is required and credentials can be earned over a period of either three or six months of part-time study. Google launched its Career Certificates program in 2018, with more than 70,000 people in the United States and 205,000 globally having earned at least one certificate in that time. Google has also added a new digital marketing and ecommerce certificate to the program, teaching skills such as how to build an online store, measuring analytics, and increasing customer loyalty using tools like Google Ads and Analytics, as well as non-Google tools. Closing the skills gap Research shows that the current US labor market is in a state of flux. According to Gartner’s latest Global Labor Market Survey, only 29% of global IT employees have solid plans to stay with their current employer. In the US, while all IT jobs lost during the pandemic have been recovered, statistics show that the hiring of IT professionals is now being hindered by a lack of qualified individuals. “The already tight labor market just became even tighter as competition for tech talent reaches near-record levels. For any employer relying on the old hiring playbook, it’s time to rethink approaches to recruiting and retention,” Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA, said in a statement in April. Related content news analysis Apple confirms it will open up the iPad in Europe this fall The latest efforts to comply with Europe’s Digital Markets Act mean developers can offer to side load apps to both iPhones and iPads in the EU. Apple has also taken steps to improve what it offers to smaller and non-commercial developers in the By Jonny Evans May 02, 2024 6 mins iPad Apple Mobile Apps news Udacity offers laid-off US workers free access to its courses for 30 days Sign-ups will be available over the next 30 days By Lucas Mearian May 02, 2024 4 mins Technology Industry IT Jobs IT Skills opinion Why you’ll soon have a digital clone of your own AI isn’t going to replace you at work. You will. By Mike Elgan May 02, 2024 7 mins Augmented Reality Generative AI Virtual Reality news analysis Workers with these AI skills are getting cash premiums As AI deployments become more critical to digital transformation projects, organizations are struggling to find skilled workers to support the new technology, so they're paying premiums for prospective hires or current employees who obtain the n By Lucas Mearian May 01, 2024 7 mins Generative AI IT Jobs IT Skills Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe