The Government have partnered with Google to provide candidates on the hunt for a job with scholarships in IT and technology.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced it is now working with Google to give 9,000 jobseekers across the UK a chance to gain a Google Career Certificate.
The scholarship will let jobseekers access courses to grow the necessary skills for a career in technology and IT, with Universal Credit claimants being referred to the scholarships by their Work Coach.
These courses do not require relevant experience or a university degree to undertake but are still recognised by employers such as Google.
Courses include IT Support, Data Analyst, Project Manager and UX Designer – intended to boost the candidate into the technology or IT field.
Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP called this a “vital for the next stage in our recovery from the pandemic”.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak also responded to the partnership, saying:
Nothing is more important than helping people get new jobs. That is the mission of our Work Coaches day in and day out, and I’m delighted they’ll be working with Google to give people the digital skills they need to do exactly that.
Ronan Harris, Google UK and Ireland’s Managing Director, expressed the benefits of technology to help jobseekers:
Technology must help everyone, no matter their location, race, age or education level. We must harness the opportunity to upskill people across the country for the jobs of the not so distant future.
We hope that with these new efforts and the support of our public sector partners, even more people can develop the skills to thrive and continue growing their careers through technology.
Work Coaches will be able to combine these scholarships with additional tailored support on offer through the Government’s Plan for Jobs, aimed at protecting, supporting and creating jobs for people of all ages across the country.
The announcement follows an update this week, which showed that 100,000 jobseekers across Great Britain had started on the JETS Scheme – aimed at helping those that have lost jobs in the pandemic with their work search.
In addition to this, the DWP has hired an additional 13,500 new Work Coaches, offering support to people searching for their new role.
Monica Sharma is an English Literature graduate from the University of Warwick. As Editor for HRreview, her particular interests in HR include issues concerning diversity, employment law and wellbeing in the workplace. Alongside this, she has written for student publications in both England and Canada. Monica has also presented her academic work concerning the relationship between legal systems, sexual harassment and racism at a university conference at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.