Google offers SMEs here free spots in online courses

Tech giant will sponsor 15,000 places for courses in areas such as data analytics, UX design 

- Krist Boo

No talent, no budget and no time to find new customers in digital marketplaces.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore will receive help from Google in addressing these perennial bugbears, with the tech giant offering them 15,000 free places for online learning, and promising to make more available if reception is warm.

For a start, 300 companies can apply for the Google-sponsored openings through Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) and tech association SGTech from Monday.

Firms can put up as many as 50 employees, and expect a response within two weeks of application, EnterpriseSG said.

Each employee can select up to eight courses, which could earn him or her eight Google Career Certificates (GCC) in areas such as IT support, project management, data analytics, user experience (UX) design and digital marketing.

Regular learners pay $49 a month for the same courses conducted by online course provider Coursera.

Mr Ben King, managing director of Google Singapore, said on Monday that its research found that six in 10 Singapore workers turn to government awareness programmes for information, explaining the public-private collaboration for the initiative.

Even though no prior relevant experience is needed to enrol in the courses, Google's internal surveys show that seven in 10 of its GCC badge earners said they got ahead in matters such as pay rises within six months of completion.