Page 65 - EducationWorld October 2020

Google says its new certificates represent an expan-
sion of the skills-based training it already offers through
the Coursera platform, timed to the retraining demand it
expects from pandemic-driven job losses. “College degrees
are out of reach for many Americans, and you shouldn’t
need a college degree to have economic security,” says Kent
Walker, Google’s senior vice president of global affairs in a
blog posting. Higher education experts are divided on the
significance of the move, noting that the key elements of
Google’s initiative already can be found elsewhere, but ac-
knowledging that Google’s massive influence could drive
industry standards and acceptance.
Google’s pledge to treat its certifi-
cate holders as equivalent to appli-
cants with four-year college degrees
is a major commitment, says Ryan Swedish primary school: low-risk conclusion
Craig, managing director of Univer-
sity Ventures, which helps companies expect this trend to accelerate, and it is imperative for col-
provide quick and low-cost training leges and universities to adapt. If not, they risk being dis-
Ryan Craig to prospective workers for the jobs rupted,” he says.
they need to fill. Whether hiring
managers at Google actually end up affording the company’s GLOBAL
own certificate holders the respect of candidates bringing a Tough choices time
four-year degree “remains to be seen”, says Craig.
Also unclear, says Paul LeBlanc, president of online in- OR CHILDREN THEMSELVES, COVID-19 IS not
novator at Southern New Hampshire University, is whether a big threat. They usually have mild symptoms or
such a promise has much hope for growth outside of some Fnone at all. Among children with symptoms, only 0.1
very limited technical competencies. “A degree remains percent of those younger than ten and 0.3 percent of those
a signal of other attributes, other than the specific skills aged between ten and 19 end up in hospital, a study from
needed for a job in the moment,” says LeBlanc. Britain shows. For school-age children, a Covid-19 infection
Google, however, already has shown its ability to attract is less deadly than most flu infections.
attention in education. Beyond offering research tools such The big worry is that children may spread the virus
as Google Scholar and Google Translate, the company’s through school. Studies in households where someone in-
Google IT Certificate is the most popular certificate on the troduced the infection usually find that younger children
Coursera online platform, which was created by two Stan- are much less likely to catch the virus than adults. The evi-
ford University computer science professors. dence for older children is mixed, with some studies con-
The three new Google Career Certificates are in the fields cluding that they are as susceptible to infection as adults.
of data analytics, project management and user experience But even if children are less easily infected at home,
design. Median annual wage for these jobs at Google range when they mingle a lot, chances are that many of them will
from $66,000 (Rs.48.18 lakh) to $93,000, while tuition on pick up the virus. In an overnight summer camp in the state
Coursera runs to about $300 for six months. of Georgia in June, at least half of the 346 children attend-
Google says it’s also expanding opportunities for appren- ing were infected.
ticeships for people who earn certificates, and is working Whether the sort of mingling that happens at school is
with a network of more than 100 community colleges to also a recipe for disaster is best judged by looking at coun-
offer certificates at the high school level. The company’s tries where schools have reopened. Data from England pub-
effort comes, however, amid signs that four-year degrees lished on August 23 is encouraging. Its schools reopened
may be regaining popularity as an entry-level hiring barrier, in June for some students before closing for the summer a
says LeBlanc. That’s because high unemployment levels tied month later. In that period, only 0.01 percent of preschools
to the pandemic may be letting companies become pickier. and primary schools had Covid-19 outbreaks, affecting 70
Scott Pulsipher, president of Western Governors Univer- children and 128 staff — out of 25,470 infections recorded
sity, an online university headquartered in Utah, welcomes in England as a whole. Of the 30 school outbreaks involved,
Google’s announcement. “Google’s move is further evidence the probable source in 20 was a staff member. That teach-
that employers, industry groups and alternative providers ing is not exceptionally risky is also the conclusion from
are moving quickly to introduce new options and advance Sweden. Staff at its nurseries and primary schools, which
learning towards the skills-based future of work. We should never closed, were no more likely to become infected than

OCTOBER 2020 EDUCATIONWORLD 65