College as we know it is not in a great place. Before the pandemic, students were drowning in debt thanks to more loans and lower earning potential, and now, paying full tuition for what could be an entire year of online learning seems a little ridiculous. Together, it all goes back to one question: are four-year degrees still worth it?
According to Google, no, they’re not — at least for certain jobs. Its answer: Google Career Certificates, the tech giant’s own take on college degrees that claims to offer training for in-demand jobs in just six months.
As Inc. explained, “Google claims their courses, which would cost a fraction of a traditional university education, prepare students to immediately find work in high-paying, high-growth career fields.” While interested job seekers can’t sign up for Career Certificates just yet, the company does note the classes will be hosted online on Coursera (like its current IT Support Specialist program) and be initially offered for three professions: data analyst, project manager and UX designer.
Details on important factors like curriculum aren’t available either, but what Google does list under the possible programs is telling: “median annual wage.” For data analysts, the company says certificate holders could expect to make around $66K a year, for UX designers it’s $75K and project managers it’s $93K. In other words, unlike traditional higher education institutions, Google is betting that people will be more concerned with making a certain salary than getting the “full college experience.”
Isn’t that a little misleading, though? By listing the median salary Google may be promising more than it can deliver. But as Inc. noted, once the program is complete, the company will help with job placement, even potentially within Google itself.
“In our own hiring, we will now treat these new career certificates as the equivalent of a four-year degree for related roles,” Kent Walker, Google’s senior vice president of global affairs, tweeted.
The question is, will other employers follow suit?
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