Eligible companies can apply for up to 500 free scholarships to help digitally upskill their employees. Google has announced plans to provide $100,000 worth of Google Career Certificates to US-based businesses that want to train their employees in data analytics, digital marketing, IT support, project management, or user experience (UX) design. Eligible organizations can apply for up to 500 scholarships each in a variety of digital skills. Google says that no previous experience is required and credentials can be earned over a period of either three or six months of part-time study. Google launched its Career Certificates program in 2018, with more than 70,000 people in the United States and 205,000 globally having earned at least one certificate in that time. Google has also added a new digital marketing and ecommerce certificate to the program, teaching skills such as how to build an online store, measuring analytics, and increasing customer loyalty using tools like Google Ads and Analytics, as well as non-Google tools. Closing the skills gap Research shows that the current US labor market is in a state of flux. According to Gartner’s latest Global Labor Market Survey, only 29% of global IT employees have solid plans to stay with their current employer. In the US, while all IT jobs lost during the pandemic have been recovered, statistics show that the hiring of IT professionals is now being hindered by a lack of qualified individuals. “The already tight labor market just became even tighter as competition for tech talent reaches near-record levels. For any employer relying on the old hiring playbook, it’s time to rethink approaches to recruiting and retention,” Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA, said in a statement in April. Related content feature Windows 11 Insider Previews: What’s in the latest build? Get the latest info on new preview builds of Windows 11 as they roll out to Windows Insiders. Now updated for Build 22635.3566 for the Beta Channel, released on April 26, 2024. By Preston Gralla Apr 26, 2024 251 mins Small and Medium Business Microsoft Windows 11 news Dropbox adds end-to-end encryption for team folders Dropbox this week unveiled a range of features, including security updates and key management, and the ability to co-edit Microsoft 365 documents from within the file-sharing app. By Matthew Finnegan Apr 26, 2024 3 mins Cloud Storage Collaboration Software Productivity Software feature Android versions: A living history from 1.0 to 15 Explore Android's ongoing evolution with this visual timeline of versions, starting B.C. (Before Cupcake) and going all the way to 2024's Android 15 (beta) release. By JR Raphael Apr 26, 2024 23 mins Small and Medium Business Smartphones Android news analysis The unspoken obnoxiousness of Google's Gemini improvements Google's Gemini chatbot is seeing all sorts of upgrades on Android this week, but those advancements reveal a darker underlying reality. By JR Raphael Apr 26, 2024 12 mins Google Assistant Google Android Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe