A partnership between Google LLC and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education will look to bring job opportunities to students for in-demand fields like cybersecurity and data analytics as part of a certificate training program.
The collaboration between the two organizations will allow students enrolled at a PASSHE university to earn a Google Career Certificate during an undergraduate program. Upon the completion of both, students will possess a degree and an industry-recognized certificate that can open doors to careers in digital marketing, e-commerce, business intelligence, IT support and others in addition to the cybersecurity and data analytics paths.
But the program isn't limited to just students at these schools.
PASSHE universities will also permit members of the public to obtain these credentials through non-credit courses and workshops. Those who complete this process will gain access to Google's employer consortium, which consists of over 150 companies. These certificate programs will also be offered by Pennsylvania affiliates of the YWCA, Family Promise, Raices Cyber Org and others.
"It’s time for a blueprint for higher education focused on competitiveness and workforce development, one that is grounded in access and affordability," Governor Josh Shapiro said in a prepared statement. "PASSHE has given us a clear example of what that can look like in practice, by connecting classroom learning to job-ready skills development so our students get the best of both worlds."
The partnership between Google and PASSHE is a commonwealth first for the tech giant and a state-based higher education institution in Pennsylvania.
Google said over 200,000 people have graduated from its Google Career Certificates program.
