WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue University Global is partnering with Google in a shared educational initiative designed to enhance meaningful employment opportunities for adult learners through the Google Career Certificate program.
Learners can now enroll in one of five co-developed, co-branded Purdue Global and Google Career Certificates and earn up to 45 credits while receiving both Google’s IT Support Certificate and a Purdue Global microcredential in a high-demand field. Moreover, these credentials can be used as stackable building blocks toward an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree at Purdue Global.
The five certificates are:
- Business Fundamentals + Google IT Support Certificate
- Cybersecurity Fundamentals + Google IT Support Certificate
- Data Intelligence + Google IT Support Certificate
- Health Informatics + Google IT Support Certificate
- Leadership + Google IT Support Certificate
The partnership aims to help job seekers navigate a shifting labor market by equipping them with in-demand skills and a path toward a four-year degree. By 2025, the World Economic Forum estimates that 50% of all employees will need reskilling, in part due to demand for technical skills. As a result, the Google Career Certificates helps people gain job-ready skills with programs in Data Analytics, IT Support, Project Management and User Experience Design – all fields projected to grow over the next 10 years.
Students can determine the best Purdue Global program of study for them based on their previous education and work. Other benefits include the opportunity for students to engage with peers and access to specific career services tools and resources.
Learners who have already completed the Google IT Support Certificate program can also enroll in the Purdue Global program. They will receive credit for their Google certificate and can add the Purdue Global micro-credential as a stackable component toward a degree.
“This partnership with Google will provide a much-needed bridge between education and industry,” Purdue Global Chancellor Frank Dooley said. “A real benefit, and one that is unique, is that because the Google IT Support Certificate is embedded into these programs, Purdue Global faculty will be teaching the Google content and putting those skills in relevant context for our students. Furthermore, students earn credit for these co-developed certificates that stack directly into Purdue Global degrees for a valuable combination our students can use to upskill or reskill.”
“We are honored to partner with Purdue Global – one of the leaders in online education – to provide the Google Career Certificates alongside their microcredentials and degree programs,” said Lisa Gevelber, founder, Grow with Google. “From cybersecurity to data intelligence, this collaboration will teach the most in-demand skills of today and tomorrow, ensuring learners will have great job prospects for years to come.”
In addition to preparing workers with job-ready skills, the certificate program includes an employer consortium of over 150 companies such as Google, Deloitte and Verizon, and Indiana-based employers such as Strada Education, Anthem and HCL Technologies. Each company has committed to considering program graduate resumes for related roles. The partnership is part of the Grow with Google campaign and includes several other universities.
To date, Grow with Google has also partnered with more than 145 organizations in the state to train more than 100,000 Hoosiers on digital skills, including organizations like public libraries, chambers of commerce and more.
