Sixteen new colleges and universities have joined Google’s “Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program” — an initiative tailored to prepare Black students for the workforce.
Announced in October 2020, the program aims to reach 20,000 students during the current academic year. The program will be available to all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by fall 2021.
The program is the result of Google’s partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) — the nation’s largest non-profit exclusively representing HBCUs. It will provide digital skills workshops to Black students at HBCU career centers to better prepare them for future careers.
“Our partnership with Google ensures students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities are positioned to compete for meaningful careers”, CEO of TMCF Dr. Harry L. Williams said.
Announced by Google CEO Sundar Pichai last year, the $1 million “Grow with Google” investment is part of a $15 million commitment to upskill Black workers in an age of increasing digitization while addressing the vast gulf between white and Black students in the acquisition of these skills.
Today we are announcing a set of concrete commitments to build sustainable equity for Google’s Black community, and make our products and programs helpful in the moments that matter most to Black users.https://t.co/6qcDBHOU61
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) June 17, 2020
Program Benefits
The “Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program” will focus on developing the skills necessary to secure jobs and build meaningful careers.
Students participating in the program will be trained via online lectures, workshops, and follow-up discussions with career counselors.
“Nearly two-thirds of all jobs in the US require medium or advanced digital skills, but 50 percent of Black job seekers lack digital skills,” Google explained.
Participating Institutions
The program that started with four HBCUs — Bowie State University, Virginia State University, Winston-Salem State University, and Southern University A&M — has now grown to include 20 schools. The latest additions include Tougaloo College and Alcorn State University (ACU) in Mississippi.
ACU President Felecia M. Nave expressed her excitement about the initiative, saying the new venture will “help students to continue to develop the critical job skills and confidence necessary to excel in an increasingly digital workplace.”