Google IT Certificates

Frequently asked questions

• What is IT Support?

  Businesses, nonprofits, school systems, and government organizations all rely on technology. Computers break, systems fail, phones die—when that happens, we need experts to fix them. IT support is all about troubleshooting and problem solving when the tech fails, and providing great customer service along the way. This includes setting up computers for users within an organization, overseeing computer systems, and debugging whenever a problem arises. A job in IT can mean in-person or remote help desk work in a range of organizations across many different industries.

• Why start a career in IT?

  With entry-level jobs in IT fetching an average salary of $62,000 per year, this field is extremely lucrative with a high potential for growth. In Canada, there were over 10,000 open IT support roles in 2020. Basic IT skills will position you to secure an introductory-level role, and from then on, the opportunities are endless. The stackability of these skills means that after gaining a baseline level of knowledge through the Google IT Support program, it is easy to pick up more advanced skills.

• Why did Google create this program?

  Google has long faced an issue that many other companies also contend with -- we had open IT support roles, and not enough qualified candidates to fill them. So, a few years ago we began working with a nonprofit organization to provide training and pathways to roles in technical support at Google. We learned that not only is IT support a highly teachable field, but that we could teach someone completely new to the industry the IT fundamentals in under six months. So, we decided to build an IT training program on Coursera, created entirely by Googlers who are expert in IT support so this training could be available to everyone.

• Is this program offered in other languages?

  Yes, the program is available in French, Spanish and Portuguese.

  - Certificat professionnel en soutien des TI de Google

  - Certificado Profesional de Soporte de Tecnologías de la Información de Google

  - Certificado Profissional de Suporte em TI do Google

• How much are the IT Certificates?

  Google Career Certificates cost US$49 per month on Coursera after an initial 7-day free trial period. All Google Career Certificates are completely self-paced. At about 10 hours of study per week, many learners complete a Google Career Certificate in three to six months.

• What is Coursera?

  Coursera is a global online learning platform that offers access to online courses. Google has worked with Coursera to make Google Career Certificates available on their platform.

• Where can I access Google Career Certificates?

  Google Career Certificates are available globally in English on Coursera. The Google IT Support Certificate and the Google Project Management Certificate are also available in French, Spanish and Portuguese. We are working to make the certificates available in more languages.

• How do I apply for financial assistance?

  If you are interested in financial assistance for Google Career Certificates, you may be eligible for financial aid via Coursera through the course page. Recipients of financial aid will have full access to course content and assignments required to earn a certificate. To apply, go to the certificate course page on Coursera and click the “Financial aid available” link next to the “Enroll” button.

  Google has also funded 5,000 scholarships for Google Career Certificates, which will be distributed by Google.org grantee NPower Canada. These funds will create a lasting impact in helping people land high-quality jobs in high-growth fields. Apply for a scholarship here.

• What is the Google Career Certificates Employer Consortium? How does it work?

  The Google Career Certificates Employer Consortium consists of different companies like Deloitte, KPMG, Loblaw, Mosaic, Omnicom Media Group, Publicis Groupe, Shopify, TELUS, Unilever, and of course, Google. These companies span multiple sectors and are committed to considering Google Career Certificate graduates for jobs. Upon completion of a Google Career Certificate, you will gain access to an exclusive job platform where you can easily apply to opportunities from employers with open jobs.

  Employers interested in joining the Google Career Certificates Employer Consortium can find more information at grow.google/employers.

• What other kind of support is available after I complete a Google Career Certificate?

  In addition to expert training and hands-on projects designed to prepare you for a job in your field of choice, you'll get access to a resume building tool, mock interviews and career networking support designed to help you with your job search. You'll also be able to connect with Canadian employers in the hiring consortium who are accepting candidates who have completed a Google Career Certificate.

• Who designed the Google Career Certificates?

  Google Career Certificates were designed and built by subject-matter experts and senior practitioners at Google from each of the job fields. Every certificate has been created to equip learners with theoretical and practical knowledge and real-life problem-solving skills to be successful in an entry-level job. Expert industry organizations and platforms - like the Project Management Institute for project management, Tableau for data analytics, and Figma for UX design, to name a few - consulted and collaborated on material.