Google Launches New Training and Education Initiatives for National Small Business Week

Marking National Small Business Week, which is being held this week (May 1st to 7th) in the US, Google has today announced a new scholarship program to help businesses acquire advanced digital marketing knowledge, as well as a new certificate course in digital marketing and eCommerce, designed to address key skills gaps.

Which has become a key focus for many over the past two years.

As explained by Google:

“Three out of four US small-and-medium sized businesses reported that adopting digital tools during the pandemic created new opportunities for their business. And digitally advanced businesses report 20 times better customer acquisition rates. Yet almost half (49%) of small businesses still lack the information and skills needed to use digital tools.”

To address this, Google’s giving away 500 scholarships for Google Career Certificates to train employees. 

The scholarships, worth up to $100,000 in workforce training per company, will provide increased opportunity for businesses to train staff in key skills that will help them advance in the modern age.

“Businesses can use Google Career Certificates to train their employees for jobs in data analytics, digital marketing & e-commerce, IT support, project management or user experience (UX) design. No experience is required, and employees can earn an industry-recognized credential in three to six months of part-time study. For every scholarship we give, a business will be gaining capabilities and, at the same time, an employee will be growing new skills.”

Each certificate program can be completed as part-time study, with Google estimating that each will take around 5-10 hours a week for 3-6 months to complete. 

The program is available till December 18th 2024, and will provide significant training opportunities for a range of businesses – though it’s only available to US organizations at this stage.

And for Google, it will also help to promote its training programs and tools, with the initial elements coming free of cost, then add-on components requiring different levels of payment.

In addition to this, Google’s also launching a new Digital Marketing and eCommerce Certificate, which is more specifically focused on SMBs and training smaller operators on digital marketing best practices.

As per the video, the course teaches digital marketing and e-commerce skills, including how to find customers, building an online store, measurement and analytics and more.

The courses are run by Google employees who are subject-matter experts, while learners will also get hands-on experience with popular digital marketing and e-commerce tools and platforms, including Canva, Hootsuite, HubSpot, and Twitter, along with Google’s own analytics and ads tools.

Though these courses are not free. Coursera, which is running the new Google training, charges $39 per month after an initial 7-day free trial period. Google says that the certificate can generally be completed in less than 6 months, at under 10 hours per week of part-time study, ‘meaning most learners can complete the certificate for under $300 USD’.

These are some helpful initiatives, which address key areas of demand, and will help businesses adapt to modern market challenges, especially amid the rising interest in eCommerce, boosted by the pandemic.

And with our digital interactions set to become even more immersive, which will transform shopping even further, it’s worth ensuring that you’re on top of the latest trends and shifts, and prepared for the next stage of your business journey.

You can find out more about Google’s business training scholarships and digital marketing course here.