Google.org Grants Scholarships to Upwardly Global For First-of-Its Kind Tech Support Certificate Training on Coursera

Upwardly Global (UpGlo), an award-winning, national nonprofit organization that helps immigrants and refugees find their place in the professional U.S. job market, will kick off its partnership with Google and Coursera, a leading online education provider, to help learners acquire the skills they need to start a career in IT. With cutting-edge courses, hands-on labs and more, the Google IT Support Professional Certificate is designed to take beginning learners to job readiness in 8 to 12 months.

“We are thrilled to join with Google and Coursera in providing this unique opportunity for new Americans,” said Rebecca Tancredi, Upwardly Global’s Vice President of Programs. “Many immigrants and refugees come to the U.S. with the desire and aptitude to fill open technical jobs in the U.S. We are excited to offer the training that will help them launch their careers, and to create more opportunities for employers to benefit from this valuable talent pool.”

Just last year, there were 150,000 job postings for IT support roles in the United States alone. IT support roles are in high demand, and expected to grow 10% in the United States by 2026. That’s faster than average for all other occupations.

Google.org is providing scholarships and full financial assistance to 10,000 learners over the next year. A portion of those seats are with Upwardly Global and other non-profit partners. Those who complete the program will have the option to share their information with top companies across sectors and across the country who are hiring entry-level IT support, including Bank of America, Walmart, Sprint, GE Digital, PNC Bank, Infosys, TEKSystems, UPMC, and Google.

This first-of-its-kind IT certificate will give aspiring professionals a hands-on IT experience. Through Coursera’s platform, learners will be able to learn on the go with short engaging videos interspersed with interactive labs that simulate on-the-job troubleshooting.

Upwardly Global’s IT support Professional Certificate program is open to immigrant candidates who are fully work authorized, computer proficient, and willing to commit to the eight-month course. The program is ideal for immigrants and refugees who may or may not have experience and education in technology, but possess the aptitude and interest in pursuing a career in IT, starting with this help desk technician Google e-certificate training. The program is available to eligible immigrants and refugees who are enrolled in UpGlo’s Job Search Program. In order to reach a wide slate of candidates, Upwardly Global is also opening this program to applicants who do not have a four-year college degree.

“Finding qualified IT personnel is a challenge many companies face. With 150,000 open roles in IT support, it is one of the fastest growing occupations in the country,” said Ben Fried, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Google. “We developed this curriculum to address this problem head on. We are looking forward to working with Coursera, our nonprofit grantees and participating corporations to create opportunities for thousands of learners.”

“As technology advances change or replace more jobs, we must create more pathways for people to jump into the new, high paying careers of the future,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera. “We are excited to work with Google, nonprofits, and top employers to grow a pipeline of skilled workers and give them the resources they need to succeed as IT professionals.”

To learn more, enroll, or refer candidates to Upwardly Global’s scholarship program with Google and the IT Support Professional Certificate on Coursera, contact: ITprogram@upwardlyglobal.org