Students, employees gain access to Google Career Certificates

Penn College students and employees have free access to Google Career Certificates, thanks to a partnership with Google Learning.

The flexible online training programs, available on Coursera.org, teach job-relevant skills.

"I’m thrilled that access to the Google Professional Certificates was granted to the Pennsylvania College of Technology community,” said Andrea M. Campbell, assistant dean of curriculum and instruction. “As a leader in applied technology education, we have a responsibility to ensure our faculty, staff and students are equipped with the skills that drive innovation and opportunity. These certificates, especially those focused on AI essentials, prompt engineering and data analytics, align perfectly with our mission to prepare the next generation of industry leaders. Most importantly, these credentials open doors to high-growth, high-demand careers, further empowering our students to thrive in a rapidly evolving job market.”

Through 2027, Penn College students and employees can access courses in project management, UX (user experience) design, data analytics, IT support, IT automation with Python, cybersecurity, business intelligence, advanced data analytics, digital marketing and e-commerce, AI essentials, prompting essentials, Agile essentials and people management essentials.

No prior experience in the topics is required.

The programs are self-paced, typically completed in three to six months.

“Google’s Professional Certificates are giving students a new kind of win: credentials that are immediately rewardable and easy to share,” said Tosh Shahrtash, assistant professor of mathematics III, who took part in a pilot of the program. “I see these programs as a corequisite – an extension of what we already do in class – that can give a real boost to students who are eager to go deeper. Through these certificates, students engage with industry-relevant technologies and apply what they’ve learned in a math class to solve real data and modeling problems.”

Those interested in gaining access to a Google Professional Certificate for themselves, their department or their students should complete a Grow with Google license request form during announced open enrollment periods or email Andrea Campbell.

Grow with Google launched the Google Career Certificates in 2018 to support skilling for in-demand fields. Graduates gain access to an employer consortium of over 150 hiring partners that are committed to considering Google Career Certificate graduates for relevant entry-level roles.

Since Google initiated the certificates, over 500,000 people have graduated from the program globally.