NPower Canada, a national employment initiative that offers professional skills training, has secured a $2.5-million CAD grant from Google Canada with the aim of helping 5,000 job seekers work towards a career in technology.
This contribution will enable NPower Canada to continue integrating Google Career Certificates into its online development programs for job-seekers.
NPower said 80 percent of its graduates are employed and/or enrolled in further education within six months of graduating.
Founded in New York City in 2001, NPower offers its programs at no-cost to participants and connects them with new career opportunities. Graduates from its programs receive ongoing support and coaching as well. Its Canadian division launched in Ontario in 2014.
Google’s certificate programs prepare workers for high-demand careers in growing tech sectors in roles that require no degree or relevant experience. It established its partnership with NPower Canada in 2020 and has invested around $7 million in total funding since then to maintain it.
Over the past three years, NPower’s scholarship-based programs have integrated Google’s IT Support Professional and UX Design certificates. Meanwhile, its advanced alumni offerings feature Google’s IT Automation with Python, Project Management, and Data Analytics certifications.
In 2021, Google Canada also made a collective $600,000 commitment to provide free digital skills training to Indigenous job seekers across Canada, which included access to certificate courses delivered through NPower.
According to NPower Canada, 80 percent of its graduates are employed and/or enrolled in further education within six months of completing a program.
NPower is only one of several organizations in Canada that is working with Google to deliver scholarships for its Career Certificates. In the last year, Google has also partnered with Digital Main Street, Canada Learning Code, ComIT, La Maison de l’Amitié, and AIM CROIT.
Featured image courtesy NPower Canada.