Google.org Grants Scholarships to Per Scholas For First-Of-Its Kind Tech Support Certificate Training on Coursera

Bronx, NY, January 16, 2018 – Per Scholas, a national nonprofit that drives positive and proven social change in communities across the country through tuition-free technology training and professional development, will kick off its partnership with Google and Coursera, a leading online education provider, to help learners acquire the skills they need to start a career in IT. With cutting-edge courses, hands-on labs and more, the Google IT Support Professional Certificate is designed to take beginning learners to job readiness in 8 to 12 months.

“Our partnership with Coursera and Grow with Google will provide advanced upskilling opportunities for Per Scholas alums and open even more opportunities in IT for talented, motivated students who are often underrepresented and overlooked,” said Plinio Ayala, President and CEO of Per Scholas.  

Just last year, there were 150,000 job postings for IT Support roles in the United States alone. IT support roles are in high demand, and expected to grow 10% in the United States by 2026. That’s faster than average for all other occupations.

Google.org is providing scholarships and full financial assistance to 10,000 learners over the next year. A portion of those seats are with Per Scholas and others non-profit partners. Those who complete the program will have the option to share their information with top companies across sectors and across the country who are hiring entry-level IT support, including Bank of America, Walmart, Sprint, GE Digital, PNC Bank, Infosys, TEKSystems, UPMC, and Google.

This first-of-its-kind IT certificate will give aspiring professionals a hands-on IT experience. Through Coursera’s platform, learners will be able to learn on the go with short engaging videos interspersed with interactive labs that simulate on-the-job troubleshooting.

The IT Support Professional Certificate Program will be available to alumni who are up to three years out of Per Scholas. The program will launch in New York, with plans to expand nationally.

“Finding qualified IT personnel is a challenge many companies face. With 150,000 open roles in IT support, it is one of the fastest growing occupations in the country,” said Ben Fried, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Google. “We developed this curriculum to address this problem head on. We are looking forward to working with Coursera, our nonprofit grantees and participating corporations to create opportunities for thousands of learners.”

“As technology advances change or replace more jobs, we must create more pathways for people to jump into the new, high paying careers of the future,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera. “We are excited to work with Google, nonprofits, and top employers to grow a pipeline of skilled workers and give them the resources they need to succeed as IT professionals.”  

To learn more about the scholarship program with Google and the IT Support Professional Certificate on Coursera, please contact: [email protected].