Are Google certifications the way to go?

Google has indeed made its commitment to education known as the company has been involved in many endeavors that go on to prove that this indeed is the case. The latest endeavor by Google in the form of offering a selection of professional certifications teaching candidates how to perform in-demand jobs is certainly in line with the company’s commitment.

These courses go on by the name of Google Career Certifications and proceed on to teach foundational skills that can help job-seekers immediately find employment. Perhaps the biggest attraction of such a program is the fact that while college degrees take years and years for completion, these courses are designed so as to be completed in about six months.

While the prices attached to such courses vary, they aren’t at all that pricy – especially when compared to the huge amounts of money that universities and colleges demand. Indeed taking one example of a Google IT Support Professional Certifications – it costs $49 for each month a student is enrolled. This would amount to $300 in the  gross amount that Google demands for its courses – which seem like peanuts when compared to the thousands and thousands of dollars that are demanded by college degrees. In addition to all this, the search engine giant has also funded needs-based scholarships programs for all those who cannot exactly afford such programs. 

It has been made no secret that higher education has indeed been ripe for disruption for quite some time now, and while this certification program by Google may not be the very final nail in the coffin, it does indeed represent a move towards a major potential change that we might see in the world of education and work.

Of course one of the major criticisms of the way in which universities and colleges operate is the fact that these institutions don’t prepare students to deal with the real-world skills which are required in the workplace, and also leave the students in debt for years as they struggle to pay back student loans.

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In contrast to such proceedings, Google has gone on to claim that their courses prepare students to immediately find work in high-paying jobs and also offer high-growth fields – all this at a fraction of what traditional university education demands.

Google has gone on to claim that such programs offer and equip participants with essential skills that are required to get the job and with their being no requirement of any sort of degree or prior experience so as to take these courses. Each course is taught by Google employees that are working in their respective fields.

Much to its credit, Google’s commitment as well as its endeavor isn’t just limited to the program, as the search engine giant has also gone on to promise that it will in fact also support the job support too, once students of one of its programs end up completing any course. The help with job searching isn’t just limited to Google’s operations, as it has promised that the company will help students get jobs in other places as well. 

In addition to all this, Google has also claimed that it will offer hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities to participants once they complete their course.  

Of course as you might have already imagined, the value of a good college education is still very high and most employers would prefer a proper college education rather than just some certifications – this especially being the case in the fields of law and medicine. However, on the contrary, many employers have also in fact suggested in recent times that they no longer view such degrees to be a must-have. The companies that take such a view include the likes of Apple, IBM and Google of course – to name a few. 

Is there a future? 

As we go more and more deeper into the complications that present themselves as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, online teaching and online learning has proven itself to be a necessity – regardless of whether you perceive it as more effective and convenient or not.

Indeed many students across the globe have become accustomed to online learning and while many have opposed the teaching methods that are equipped with such a style, the necessity of the situations simply means that many have to work with what they have.

As a result of all the events that have transpired, we have become accustomed to one thing : online learning is in fact an option. Many employers in the future will have to rely on the relevance of online teaching due to the fact that many students will be graduating in such a manner that these employers won’t have too many options available for otherwise. And with that said, with respect to the teaching certifications that Google offers, it is quite possible that future employers will develop a similar approach. Whether this does turn out to be the case, only time can tell.