The Google IT Support Professional Certificate

IT support is a dynamic, fast-growing field which is projected to grow 10% between 2018 and 2028 — faster than the average of all other occupations. And the median salary is $53,470 according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

In the United States alone, there are over 215,000 open IT support roles as more and more people use technology for some part of their work. But sometimes things go wrong — hardware breaks, networks go down, systems fail — and when they do, it’s vital to have team members who know what to do.

At Google, the challenge we faced in finding qualified candidates to join our own IT support team inspired the creation of a new training program. Now we’re using the IT support training we implemented at Google as the basis for the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. No tech experience or college degree is necessary.

In this program, you’ll engage with a dynamic mix of hands-on labs and other interactive assessments, all developed by Googlers. This certificate program introduces you to troubleshooting and customer service, networking, operating systems, system administration, and security — all the fundamentals of IT support that are critical for success in the workplace. And, throughout the program, you’ll hear directly from Googlers whose own foundation in IT support served as a jumping off point for their careers.

Completing the IT support training program and earning the certificate is an important first step, and you’ll also be supported in the next step — the job search.

Once you complete the program, you can opt in to share your information directly with top employers hiring for IT support jobs, including:

We worked with Coursera to offer the training program at a reduced rate of $49 per month. And to ensure that more people have access to the program, we’ve provided financial support to more than 10,000 learners. As part of that commitment, Google.org is providing funding for need-based scholarships through nonprofits that serve underrepresented communities, including a $2.5 million grant to the United Service Organizations (USO) to provide training and career guidance for transitioning military personnel, military spouses, and veterans. The grant will enable USO to incorporate the Google IT Support Professional Certificate into their programming. We’ve also provided funding for scholarships to Student Veterans of America. Learn more about our commitment to help service members transition into civilian jobs here.

We’re providing a Google.org grant to JFF to bring the certificate to 100 community colleges in states including Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Texas, California, Colorado, and New York. These community colleges are integrating the Google IT Support Professional Certificate into their IT offerings, so that it aligns with the skills that employers are looking for. With these skills, students can jump start their careers in IT support. 

In addition to integrating with community colleges, the certificate recently secured a credit recommendation from the American Council on Education’s (ACE) ACE CREDIT®, which is the industry standard for translating workplace learning to college credit.

Now, learners can earn a recommendation of 12 college credits for completing the program--the equivalent of four college courses at the associate degree-level. This aims to help open up additional pathways to learners who are interested in higher education, and prepare them for entry-level jobs.

Through a Google.org grant to JFF, your community college may be eligible to receive assistance from JFF to offer the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. To learn more, please complete Grow with Google's Partner Program signup form. We'll let you know how your community college can get started.

The Google IT Support Professional Certificate program has enrolled over 85,000 people interested in jobs in IT. We worked with Coursera to design a program that both attracts a diverse group of learners and provides effective pathways to new careers. A few takeaways from the first year of the program:

• 84% of learners report a career impact within six months, like getting a raise, finding a new job, or starting a new business.
• 60% of our learners identify as coming from historically underrepresented backgrounds in the technology field. 
• 57% of learners enrolled do not have a four-year degree.

In our 2019 Google IT Support Professional Certificate Impact Report, we dive deeper into these findings and how they’ve informed our continued work on the program. Learn more about how our IT certificate is helping Americans prepare for jobs in IT here.