North Carolina Community College System Partners with Google to Offer AI and Tech Training Programs to All NC Community Colleges

North Carolina community colleges will offer Google Career Certificates in Data Analytics, Digital Marketing and E-Commerce, IT Support and Google AI and Prompting Essentials 

RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) announced a partnership with Google to offer tech training programs to all 58 community colleges statewide at no-cost to the colleges. The programming includes the Google Career Certificates and the company's, AI Essentials and Prompting Essentials courses. No experience is required to enroll. In addition to offering stand-alone certificates, NCCCS will offer for-credit courses for select Google Career Certificates fields, and will embed Google AI Essentials into an AI Survey course.

The Google Career Certificates prepare learners for the in-demand fields of cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing & e-commerce, IT support, project management, and user experience (UX) design. Students who complete a certificate will be connected to on-demand career resources and a network of over 150 companies in the Google Employer Consortium that will consider them for relevant roles. Companies in the Consortium with a presence in North Carolina include Google, Lowe's, and Wells Fargo.

Designed and taught by Google experts, the Certificates include 150+ practice and graded assessments, quizzes, or writing assignments to ensure rigor and mastery. Each Google Career Certificate includes practical AI tips specific to each certificate field, and NCCCS learners can learn additional foundational AI skills and best practices through the company's AI and Prompting Essentials courses. Google's AI courses are under ten hours and teach techniques that can be applied across industries and generative AI tools.

"This partnership with Google underscores the North Carolina Community College System's commitment to providing students with cutting-edge skills that align with the evolving needs of today's workforce," said Dr. Jeff Cox, President of the North Carolina Community College System. "By offering these career certificates and AI training statewide, we're ensuring that North Carolinians have access to high-demand tech credentials that can open doors to new career opportunities and help grow our state's economy."

"Every student deserves the opportunity to enter the workforce with the skills needed to thrive," said Lisa Gevelber, Founder, Grow with Google. "We're proud to work with the North Carolina Community College System to provide the Google Career Certificates program to every community college in the state. This will ensure that students and workers can access the certificates in their local communities and qualify for well-paying jobs in North Carolina."

Since launching in 2018 on Coursera, more than 250,000 people have graduated from the program in the U.S. Seventy-five percent of graduates report a positive career impact within six months, such as a new job, higher pay, or a promotion. Fifty-five percent of graduates identify as Asian, Black, or Latino.

"The North Carolina Community College System continues to build upon strategic partnerships that provide students with credentials in high demand careers," said Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at the System, Dr. Brian S. Merritt. "This partnership with Google is yet another great example of the high-caliber credentials being earned by community college students."

About the North Carolina Community College System 
The North Carolina Community College System is a network of 58 community colleges created to improve the quality of life across North Carolina by opening the door to opportunities that minimize barriers to post-secondary education, maximize student success, and develop a globally and multi-culturally competent workforce. The 58 institutions located throughout the state provide easy access to low-cost, high-quality educational opportunities and academic support that focuses on increasing employability.

About Grow with Google
Grow with Google started in 2017 to help Americans grow their skills, careers and businesses. It provides training, tools and expertise to help small business owners, veterans and military families, jobseekers and students, educators, startups and developers. Since Grow with Google's inception, it has helped more than eleven million Americans develop new skills. Grow with Google has a network of more than 9,000 partner organizations like libraries, schools, small business development centers, chambers of commerce and nonprofits to help people coast-to-coast.

SOURCE North Carolina Community College System