San Diego Public Library officials announced Monday they are teaming up with Google to offer free career advancement courses for county residents wanting to improve their workforce skills. According to the library, people 13 and older with an active SDPL card may apply for access to the “Grow with Google” program.
“With this launch, SDPL joins over 9,000 community organizations partnering with Google to help close the digital skills gap,” SDPL officials said in a statement.Google Career Certificates “are industry-recognized credentials that equip participants with job-ready skills in digital fields, including cybersecurity, data analytics, IT support and more,” library officials said. The program also offers Google Artificial Intelligence courses, including hands-on training from experts, according to the SDPL.
“To date, over 1 million people have used these programs to train for higher-paying jobs, with over 70% of graduates reporting a positive career impact within six months of completion,” officials added. According to SDPL, certificate access is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and each license lasts six months. Should all available slots be filled, SDPL will start a waitlist for interested residents. Library Director Misty Jones said that digital skills “are a necessity in the modern workplace, and as a result, may become barriers to many job seekers.”…