Will Google Disrupt Higher Education Placing Power on Certificates Rather Than College Degrees?

Trade school is a term that regurgitated these last years for different reasons.  One is that college tuition has become unreachable for many students, and the other is the devaluation of a college degree. Businesses no require a bachelor for positions that otherwise will be perfectly served with a high school diploma.

In this spectrum and after the preponderance of remote work and remote learning, what it was seen as a second class education, this post-pandemic era has changed the mindset of education officials that have been forced to implement online learning to try to control the spread of an uncontrollable virus.

When free distance education (MOOCs) appeared through Coursera, EdX, and other platforms, society though that was a turning point for higher education. It didn't work, and little by little, universities stopped providing the free-access courses.

Google Career Certificates

In order to propel labor and economic development with so many people unemployed and business closing down, Google comes a new proposal, the Google Certificates that words of its representatives replace the four-year degree for related careers in American colleges.

To help with economic recovery, Ken Walker, senior vice president of global affairs in Google, states that college degrees are out of reach for many Americans. He asserts that economic security shouldn't rest on a college diploma, rather job-training from enhanced vocational programs such as the Google Career Certificates.

Certification Availability - Skills Over Degrees

Courses are not available, but there is no clear information about costs. What is known is they will last 6 months, will be developed by Google, and taught by specialists in each area. 

Beyond popular IT Support Specialist, the 3 new courses to be released are Data Analyst, Project Manager, and UX Designer. Courses are open to all US citizens regardless of previous job experience or education level.

Google made the announcement back in July and we think they still are creating awareness and collecting applicants. 

Employment Requirements Impact

It is clear that not everyone will land employment with Google, but how this will change the evolving higher education industry is something we need to see. However, the opportunities will expand and open for those picking, for example, the high demand for Project Management.

As Justin Bariso from Inc notes, if you're an in the HR department for any employer start by asking yourself these 3 questions: 

1. Is it time to rewrite our own job descriptions, to eliminate the requirement of a four-year degree?
2.  Can we take advantage of educational programs like those offered by Google and other online platforms?
3. Do we have the resources to design our own online training to help increase our pool of qualified candidates and simultaneously provide an additional source of revenue for our business?

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