California State University, Stanislaus in Turlock has joined forces with Google and Coursera to offer a free online training program that provides business students an opportunity to earn Google Professional Certificates in various high-demand fields.

The program is taught on the Coursera online learning platform and allows students to pursue certificates in six key areas:

·         IT support specialist

·         Data analyst 

·         Project manager

·         UX designer 

·         Digital marketer

·         Cybersecurity professional. 

Each course is certified by the American Council on Education and are foundational courses that introduce students to the topics and ultimately deliver professional-level training and job-ready skills. Once students complete a Google certificate course, they can transition to more advanced studies with Stan State courses.

Google has provided 500 free licenses for business students to pursue certificates. The licenses are continuously circulated, making the program sustainable for future students. 

“Think of it as an auditorium with 500 seats,” said Business Administration Dean Terrence Pitre, who is leading the program. “You can fill the seats, and as students leave the seats, you can refill them.” 

The program launched in September, and as of early December, students had completed more than 120 certificates from 300 courses. Pitre expects many of the students who are still working on their certificates to complete them over the winter break.

“I think the Google certificate will open doors for me because no matter what field you are in, employers are looking for people who can analyze data,” said Brena Olivares, a junior at Stan State majoring in business. “In finance, I’ll be working with large numbers and will need to interpret data, so I’m sure this certificate will be very beneficial.”

According to Pitre, the certificate courses allow Stan State to increase its educational offerings quickly to meet the evolving needs of students and employers.

“There’s been a lot of talk recently about whether college is worth it, and whether students should focus on acquiring a skill instead, as if the two things are exclusive of one another,” Pitre said. “Let’s put them together. Let’s put the current, relevant skills you get in a certificate program alongside the theoretical education you get in college courses and give students the best of both worlds.”

Business students who want to take a Google certificate course can contact Pitre. Students in the College of Business Administration can also keep on their emails for details on how to sign up.