Last April, Google launched Grow with Google Career Readiness for Reentry, a program created in partnership with nonprofits to offer job readiness and digital skills training for formerly incarcerated individuals. As part of an expansion, Google today announced that it will invest just over $8 million in organizations helping ‘justice-impacted’ individuals, including the formerly incarcerated, enter the workforce.
Expanding Access to Digital Skills Training
The program is a direct response to the challenges faced by the formerly incarcerated community. With limited access to technology and internet during their incarceration, many struggle with basic digital skills such as searching for jobs or making resumes using web tools. According to a recent University of Kansas study, many women coming out of prison struggle with protecting their online privacy.
Google’s Investment in Career Skills Training
$4 million of the new investment will go toward Grow with Google Career Skills, aiming to help people impacted by the justice system develop career specializations. Nonprofits that have not previously collaborated with Google will be able to apply for up to $100,000 in grants to offer Google’s reentry skills training to their community.
Grants from Google.org
Google.org, Google’s charitable arm, will provide $4.25 million in grants to assist state governments in reducing barriers to employment with Code for America’s Clear My Record tool. Other grants from Google.org will focus on connecting ‘justice-impacted’ people with jobs through the National Urban League’s Urban Tech Jobs Program and Columbia University’s Justice through Code.
Scaling Digital Literacy Programs
Google’s lofty goal is to help 100,000 individuals develop digital skills by 2025. To achieve this, the company will work with state governments and local organizations to scale digital literacy programs.
Breaking Down Barriers to Employment
Criminal records can be a life sentence to poverty, creating barriers to jobs, housing, education, and more. Google’s investment in career skills training aims to break down these barriers and provide opportunities for individuals who have been incarcerated.
Partnerships with Nonprofits
Google will partner with nonprofits to deliver the program, providing training and resources to help individuals develop digital skills. The company believes that by working together, they can make a meaningful impact on the lives of those affected by incarceration.
A New Era in Digital Skills Training
Google’s investment in career skills training marks a new era in digital skills training for the formerly incarcerated community. By providing access to technology and internet, Google aims to empower individuals to take control of their future and break down barriers to employment.
Topics Covered
- Enterprise
- google.org
- grow with google
- hiring
- incarceration
- job training
- labor
- philanthropy
- prisons
- Startups
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