Google invests in digital skills for San Bernardino Hispanic college students

On Monday, Jan. 24, San Bernardino Valley College, California State University, (San Bernardino), California State University (Stanislaus), Los Angeles City College and Los Angeles Mission College announced their participation in the Grow with Google Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) Career Readiness Program. The initiative will help Latino students at over 20 HSIs prepare for the workforce through digital skills training and career workshops. Through Google’s $2 million investment in the Hispanic Association of Community Colleges and Universities (HACU), the program will train 200,000 Latino students by 2025. Google.org, Google’s philanthropy, will also provide $5 million dollars in grants to three Latino-serving workforce organizations—UnidosUS, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Hispanic Federation—to help workers upskill for in-demand jobs while providing wraparound support.

“Students in the Inland Empire deserve access to the best available resources to help them prepare for their careers and become active members of our community,” said Congressman Pete Aguilar. This type of investment in our students is crucial, and is especially significant in historically-underserved communities. I’ve been proud to support additional funding for HSIs like San Bernardino Valley College and Cal State San Bernardino, and I’m excited to see these new opportunities come available for our local students.” 

“Providing our students with the most innovative 21st century skills to contribute to a globally connected society is paramount to our mission,” said Dr. Molly Springer, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, California State University, San Bernardino. “The partnership with Google and HACU propels us in this direction, and we are truly excited to see our students thrive.”

Latino workers face systemic barriers to economic opportunity, including a lack of access to digital skills training. Over 80% of U.S. jobs require digital skills, but 55% of Latinos have little to no digital skills training. Latinos are also overrepresented in jobs that are at the highest risk of elimination due to automation, furthering the need to upskill for an increasingly digital economy. Alongside partners, Google’s latest commitments aim to increase economic mobility in the Latino community by furthering access to the training and digital skills needed to obtain an in-demand job.

“San Bernardino Valley College provides the community access and opportunities to seek, obtain, and cultivate a productive learning environment,” said Marco Cota, Dean of Counseling & Matriculation, San Bernardino Valley College.“Partnering with Grow with Google, we can collaboratively expand our services, particularly in the soft skills preparation essential in the marketing aspect, preparation for employment, and today’s economy.”

“Los Angeles Mission College is excited to participate in the Grow with Google Career Readiness Initiative,” said Dr. Armida Ornelas, Interim President of L.A. Mission College. “This grant allows us to enhance our career services by providing industry recognized digital skills that will provide students with the tools they need in this competitive job market. We’ll be able to increase participation and opportunities for our students and help them with marketability and job acquisition.”

In partnership with HACU, the Grow with Google HSI Career Readiness Program will provide HSI career centers with funding and a semester-long in-person and online digital skills program. HACU has a track record of increasing access to education in the Latino community, and two-thirds of Latino college students in the U.S. attend one of its member institutions. The initiative will combine career workshops, career counseling, and programming on design thinking, project management, and professional brand building. The participating schools will also create additional material tailored to student needs.

“Google is proud to work with leading Latino-serving organizations to advance access to digital skills and workforce training in the Latino community,” said Ana Corrales, Chief Operating Officer for Google’s Devices and Services. “Together with organizations like the Hispanic Association of Community Colleges and Universities, we aim to help bridge wealth and opportunity gaps in the Latino community, so that everyone has an opportunity to succeed in today’s digital economy.” 

Google is also providing $5 million in grants to UnidosUS, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Hispanic Federation to help members of the Latino community prepare for jobs in the digital economy. They will work with local affiliates across the U.S. to reach over five thousand Latino jobseekers with training opportunities to grow their digital skills, and access to Google Career Certificates. The Google Career Certificates equip people with skills for in-demand jobs within three to six months and are available with Spanish subtitles. Eighty-two percent of certificate graduates report a positive career impact within six months of completing the program, including a new job, raise, or promotion. 

Google’s latest commitments build on over $35M provided to date to expand economic opportunity in the Latino community, including a recent $15 million commitment to help Latino entrepreneurs, job seekers and students succeed in today’s economy. Since 2013, the company’s Google in Residence program has partnered with HSIs and HBCUs to place Google software engineers in schools as faculty, and the company also hosts Tech Exchange, a virtual student exchange program that teaches HSI and HBCU students applied computer science courses. 

Since 2013, the company has partnered with HSIs and HBCUs to place Google software engineers in schools as faculty, and the company also hosts Tech Exchange, a virtual student exchange program that teaches HSI and HBCU students applied computer science courses.