Technology does not live only from programmers. There are other trainings in digital skills that are also highly required by companies, such as data analysis or user experience design. Learning to program is the great option that young people and adults have to enter the IT world, get a job fast and earn good salaries. But there's more.
Professionals such as lawyers, engineers, communicators or accountants, for example, who are trained as technology specialists also have enormous possibilities to change their lives and add new skills to those they already have. And to "stay in the race" at a time when technology crosses all companies, SMEs, ventures, etc., regardless of their size.
From Google Argentina they understand it -and explain it- like this, that is why they have just launched 9,000 totally free educational scholarships for people who want to enter the technology labor market. And they do it in partnership with four NGOs: Comunidad IT, Fundación Pescar, Potrero Digital and Civic House.
Studying programming and digital skills opens doors to higher-paying jobs. Photo: Archive.
A key fact: in Argentina, 15,2022 new jobs are published per month in technology areas. According to a study of talent shortage conducted by Manpower in <>, the most demanded positions in the country are in areas of Technology and Data.
In turn, this report also details that 84% of employers in the tech industry claim that they have difficulty filling jobs and finding talent with the required skills.
What are companies looking for so much that they can't find? "Today the most demanded profiles are knowledge in data analysis, programming, cloud technology and artificial intelligence," explains Víctor Valle, general director of Google Argentina.
"The problem is that companies compete for talent with local companies but also with foreign ones since there are many Argentines who are working abroad. And not only for the money, but also out of curiosity, because it amuses them, because they want to travel, etc.," he adds.
What are Google scholarships?
There are four courses offered through the Coursera platform and the certifications are for the areas of:
IT Support
Data Analysis
Project Management
- User Experience (UX) Design
You can choose only one of the four. They last approximately 6 months, if 10 hours per week are dedicated, and are designed to be compatible with people who already have a job, other studies or family, since they are 100% online and asynchronous, that is, they can be done at their own pace.
Each of them combines theory, use of current tools in different areas and practices with real cases. In addition, at the end of the program, all graduates will receive a certificate from Google to endorse their knowledge.
Víctor Valle, CEO of Google Argentina.
Who are Google scholarships for?
The programme aims to provide practical digital skills in areas of high labour demand to:
Vulnerable communities
Underrepresented groups
Women
Young people
People over 50 who want to enter the technology labor market.
It is also sought that people who already have previous professional experience can renew their knowledge and be up to date with the needs of the labor market.
"I am an example of converting," says Victor Valle. "I did my entire career in finance and joined Google 16 years ago as CFO. Then I moved on to the commercial part and the skills I was able to transfer from one area to the other were the soft ones, especially leadership, the collaborative part and global understanding of the business. Then, the hardest part, the Google product, I learned over the years."
It is precisely that technology continues to create new jobs. In the case of Google, its director says that both his own position and 90% of the jobs that are today in the company, did not exist 25 or 30 years ago.
In the previous edition, the scholarships were aimed at young people up to 25 years old. "Now it's expanded to people over 50. When I started at Google, 16 years ago, one of the colleagues who joined me was 73. Talking to him he told me that he was an expert in some software, that is, he was hired to work on something specific. There is a lot of experience in the market in people over 50 years old, "explains the director of Google
How do people who graduate from Google scholarships get jobs?
As part of this program, a network of allied companies was formed that have access to the profiles of the graduates and these, in turn, can access a job bank through the organizations of the NGO that awarded them the scholarships.
Last year, 85% of graduates reported having had a positive impact on their careers (for example, they accessed a new job, a promotion or a salary increase). "We have a strong effect on the lives of these people. Because technology is a one-way street, there are many areas in which you can specialize," says Víctor Valle.
The courses are 100% online. Photo: Shutterstock.
And he explains that for some time, Google has been realizing that education is fundamental. "Our mission as a company is to organize the world's information and make it useful and accessible to everyone. But to access information you have to understand it, you have to know how to do it and you need tools to help you, "he clarifies.
"In the 80s, if you wanted to study programming or systems, the bar was much higher than today, the programs were much more complicated. Today it is not like that, there are tools that just facilitate the approach, technology is more accessible. That's why we have to take advantage of this opportunity to train", recommends the director of Google Argentina.
Technology grows as it advances: it is so diverse and varied that it requires some experience to be able to understand it in its entirety. Therefore, soft skills are essential for the technological world: collaboration, work by objectives, leadership, conflict resolution, time organization, etc.
How to enroll in Google scholarships?
To sign up you have to enter the site "I grew up with Google" by clicking here. Once there, you will have to fill out the form with the personal data.
The only requirements are: be over 18 years old and not have a university education.
The trainings are completely online, so you do not have to attend any class in person. Instructional videos, reading materials and assignments can be accessed anytime, anywhere, via the web or from a mobile device.
LN
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