Dr. Joe May, DCCCD’s chancellor (far right), addresses the group during a Google roundtable focused on preparing America’s workers for the changing economy.
Contact: Malcolm Hornsby
214-378-1572;
mhornsby@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — Oct. 8, 2019
(DALLAS) — Signed, sealed and with a promise to deliver, tech-giant Google announced the expansion of a job training program Thursday at El Centro College.
Launched in January 2018, Google’s IT Support Professional Certificate program prepares students and workers for entry-level roles in information technology support in six months without prior training. It also bypasses the need for a college degree.
Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai revealed the program will grow from 30 to 100 community colleges nationwide by the end of next year. El Centro, an early adopter, began offering the program in Fall 2018. The program features five modules designed to teach the key areas of knowledge needed for entry-level IT positions, including technology support and computer networking.
“Our goal is to make sure the opportunities created by technology are truly available for everyone,” Pichai said.
The average annual salary for an entry-level tech job is around $53,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Pichai and White House adviser Ivanka Trump, who serves as co-chair on the administration’s National Council for the American Worker, also signed the Pledge to America’s Workers. The White House initiative aims to provide 250,000 training and education opportunities over the next five years. It’s a move poised to significantly strengthen the national workforce, including here in Dallas.
“This pledge simply serves as a connector of careers that students might not otherwise have access to,” said Dr. Joe May, DCCCD’s chancellor. “We could not be more thrilled to serve as a pipeline for students to break into this high-demand field and appreciate the spotlight Google is shedding on our efforts to do so.”
Pichai, Trump and Dr. May were joined by El Centro’s president, Dr. Jose Adames; Dr. Walter Bumphus, American Association of Community Colleges president; Maria Flynn, CEO of national nonprofit JFF; and El Centro College students for a roundtable focused on preparing America’s workers for the changing economy.
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