Tag Archives: grow with google

Bringing digital skills to previously incarcerated jobseekers

When I was in federal prison, I witnessed firsthand how incarceration affects people's lives — even long after they're released. After my own release in 2015, I created The Ladies of Hope Ministries (The LOHM), which helps previously incarcerated women transition back into society through education, entrepreneurship, spiritual empowerment and advocacy. 


In the U.S., more than 600,000 people make the transition from prisons to the community each year. While many are ready to start working, they often face systemic barriers to entering the workforce. The unemployment rate for people impacted by incarceration is five times the national average. Because of systemic racism in the justice system, this disproportionately impacts the Black community, who also experiences higher unemployment rates than any other racial group. Additionally, 82% of middle-skill jobs in the U.S. require digital proficiency, but many incarcerated individuals lack digital literacy after being removed from technology in prison. The research is clear: Ensuring people have jobs is key to helping them stay out of prison and contributes to our country’s economic health. 


Everyone should have access to economic opportunity. That’s why my nonprofit, along with the Center for Employment Opportunities, Defy Ventures, Fortune Society and The Last Mile, is partnering with Google on the Grow with Google Career Readiness for Reentry program. This program will train more than 10,000 people who have been impacted by incarceration on digital skills they can use to get a job or start businesses. This initiative builds upon Google’s existing criminal justice work — which includes more than $40 million in Google.org grants to organizations advancing reform in the U.S. justice system over the last six years — and is part of Google’s racial equity commitment to help Black job seekers grow their digital skills. 


The Grow with Google Career Readiness for Reentry program provides free training on digital fundamentals — like how to search and apply for jobs online, how to make a resume using web-based tools and how to send professional emails — as well as more advanced topics like including entrepreneurship and using spreadsheets to make a budget for your business. Several partners will also provide job placement support or help place learners into paid apprenticeships and entrepreneur-in-residence programs.


Partnering organizations like mine have worked with Google to develop the curriculum, designed as an easy-to-use guide to help community organizations deliver digital skills training to people returning from incarceration. Any nonprofit organization offering training to the reentry population can also join the Grow with Google Partner Program and access resources, workshop materials and hands-on help, completely free of cost. 


We can’t change the past, but we can build toward a better tomorrow. The ability to secure a job or start a business can pave the way for a brighter future, and I’m thrilled to work with Google to give others like me the opportunity for a fresh start.

Bringing digital skills to previously incarcerated jobseekers

When I was in federal prison, I witnessed firsthand how incarceration affects people's lives — even long after they're released. After my own release in 2015, I created The Ladies of Hope Ministries (The LOHM), which helps previously incarcerated women transition back into society through education, entrepreneurship, spiritual empowerment and advocacy. 


In the U.S., more than 600,000 people make the transition from prisons to the community each year. While many are ready to start working, they often face systemic barriers to entering the workforce. The unemployment rate for people impacted by incarceration is five times the national average. Because of systemic racism in the justice system, this disproportionately impacts the Black community, who also experiences higher unemployment rates than any other racial group. Additionally, 82% of middle-skill jobs in the U.S. require digital proficiency, but many incarcerated individuals lack digital literacy after being removed from technology in prison. The research is clear: Ensuring people have jobs is key to helping them stay out of prison and contributes to our country’s economic health. 


Everyone should have access to economic opportunity. That’s why my nonprofit, along with the Center for Employment Opportunities, Defy Ventures, Fortune Society and The Last Mile, is partnering with Google on the Grow with Google Career Readiness for Reentry program. This program will train more than 10,000 people who have been impacted by incarceration on digital skills they can use to get a job or start businesses. This initiative builds upon Google’s existing criminal justice work — which includes more than $40 million in Google.org grants to organizations advancing reform in the U.S. justice system over the last six years — and is part of Google’s racial equity commitment to help Black job seekers grow their digital skills. 


The Grow with Google Career Readiness for Reentry program provides free training on digital fundamentals — like how to search and apply for jobs online, how to make a resume using web-based tools and how to send professional emails — as well as more advanced topics like including entrepreneurship and using spreadsheets to make a budget for your business. Several partners will also provide job placement support or help place learners into paid apprenticeships and entrepreneur-in-residence programs.


Partnering organizations like mine have worked with Google to develop the curriculum, designed as an easy-to-use guide to help community organizations deliver digital skills training to people returning from incarceration. Any nonprofit organization offering training to the reentry population can also join the Grow with Google Partner Program and access resources, workshop materials and hands-on help, completely free of cost. 


We can’t change the past, but we can build toward a better tomorrow. The ability to secure a job or start a business can pave the way for a brighter future, and I’m thrilled to work with Google to give others like me the opportunity for a fresh start.

Digital tools create a safety net for European businesses

Alongside the public health crisis, the economic impact of the pandemic is being felt heavily around the world. As entrepreneurs, business leaders and Governments work to protect jobs and accelerate a return to prosperity in the long term, it's clear that digital tools and skills are going to be more important than ever. That’s why Google is investing in new tools and training to ensure all businesses can build resilience and recover quickly. These are helping companies such as handmade accessories retailer MoonDot in Poland who used digital tools to improve online sales by 70%, and La Maison Des Soeurs Macarons in France who gained 200 new customers after its team took online training courses in digital skills. 

A new report released today by the Connected Commerce Council, funded by Google, shows how a “digital safety net” can serve as a support system for small businesses. The survey of more than 5,000 small businesses across Europe found that businesses that used digital tools to rapidly change how they find customers, sell products and operate reported 80 percent better sales during COVID-19 than those who didn’t, and hired three times as many people. And without such tools, many would have gone out of business.


Digital drives jobs and sales for small businesses

Whilst almost all (80 percent) of European small businesses increased their use of digital tools during the pandemic, the report identified three different types of small businesses based on their adoption of digital tools, and how this impacts their business:

  • Digitally Advanced small businesses (42 percent of small businesses in Europe) use more than 10 digital tools and prioritize their importance, leading to better business outcomes such as higher revenue and jobs 

  • Digitally Evolving small businesses (40 percent) viewed tools as supporting or essential for their business, but were deploying an average of six 

  • Digitally Uncertain small businesses (18 percent) use less digital tools and don’t prioritize their importance, leading to worse business outcomes

Digital drives jobs and sales for small businesses

There is clear untapped potential for European businesses to benefit from digital tools 

From consulting with small businesses, the researchers identified a “stack” of digital tools —  e-commerce, data analytics and talent management, cloud services and collaboration tools — that created significant revenue advantages for small businesses if they were being used prior to the pandemic. This ultimately showed that not only is digital driving revenue and jobs for these businesses, but also that Europe is missing out on significant untapped growth from businesses who are not yet convinced about the usefulness of digital tools. 

The pandemic had a dramatic, and uneven, impact on small businesses

The impact on small businesses was, and continues to be, extreme, with 90 percent saying they were negatively impacted and 44 percent having to adjust their business models. And certain industries and groups faced greater challenges than others, particularly female, older and solo-operator business owners. 

Impact of digital tools on different business owners

What’s next 

It’s clear from this research that there is an opportunity to drive jobs and revenue for European small businesses. However, the research shows that governments and companies need to narrow the gap between the digitally advanced and uncertain, particularly for underrepresented groups. As new digital habits like online shopping and remote working are here to stay even after the pandemic, the research also highlights the risk of some small businesses falling further behind their competitors if they don’t increase their use of digital tools. The barriers those businesses face include being unsure of the return on investment and also a lack of skills and knowledge about digital tools. 

This is why new skills are such an important part of economic recovery efforts across Europe. It’s also why we are committed to investing in research like this to inform and build on the tools and training we already provide. Google is joining policy makers, public agencies, training partners and others to develop products and partnerships to help tackle these barriers, like ourZukunftHandel program, in partnership with HDE, the German Retail Association, to help German retail businesses or Ma Vitrine En Ligne, in partnership with the French Federation of Trade Associations, to connect artisans and traders with digital experts for remote support courses, and providing personalized product recommendations for small business owners on our Google for Small Business hub. 

By removing these barriers, we can achieve an accelerated, sustainable recovery which works for everyone. 

Read the full report and methodology from the Connected Commerce Council.


Key stats at a glance:

  • Key stats at a glance:

    • The impact: 

      • 80% of small businesses increased their use of digital tools during the pandemic

      • 44% had to to adjust their business models

      • Small businesses with a sophisticated use of digital tools fared nearly twice as better financially (80% better sales; 60% better revenue) during COVID-19, and hired over three times as many people

    • The challenge: 

      • 90% of small businesses were negatively impacted by the pandemic 

      • Digitally advanced small businesses are about 2.5X more likely to be led by someone under 45 years old versus a leader over 45. 

      • Female small business leaders face more than 10% greater revenue challenges than men if they don’t use digital tools, but conversely these tools help women more when deployed successfully

    • The future

      • 62% of small businesses believe they will fully recover to pre-pandemic levels during the next year

      • 50% of small businesses plan to increase their use of digital tools

Job-training solutions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa

As the pandemic accelerates changes in how and where we work, many of us will need to upgrade our skills or even change careers. Today we’re announcing more help, in partnership with expert organizations and with the public sector, building on our experience in training over 17 million people in Europe, the Middle East and Africa over the last six years through Grow with Google.

Even before COVID-19, research by Google and McKinsey showed that more than 90 million European workers may need to develop significant new skills within their current roles, while up to 21 million may have to leave occupations with declining labor needs like agriculture or in-person retail. The global crisis has sped up many of these predicted changes: McKinsey now estimates that 25% more people in Europe may need to transition to new jobs after the pandemic. Many people will need to learn new skills, as almost all growth in labor demand will continue to be for higher skill, higher wage jobs. 

Today, we are announcing three new Google Career Certificates available online on Coursera, which enable people to become job-ready for growing career areas such as IT Support, Project Management, UX Design and Data Analytics. These low-cost programs help people who want to learn online at their own pace, or who may want to change careers and don't have the time or means to access traditional education. They can be completed in under six months, do not require relevant experience or a degree, and are recognized by industry experts and employers. 

These certificates help meet surging demand by workers to get the skills they need to secure good jobs. At the start of the lockdowns, we saw atripling of demandfor online learning, and the interest has been mostly sustained throughout the year, as people need to find new jobs or learn new skills that employers are looking for today — and in the years ahead.

These certificates help meet surging demand by workers to get the skills they need to secure good jobs. In the last year, we've seen increased interest in online learning as more workers lose their jobs or as they seek the skills employers are looking for today — and in the years ahead.

Addressing the challenges of the future of work requires collaboration between governments, companies and community organizations. We are proud to support the European Commission’s Pact for Skills, and, as part of our commitment to help people overcome barriers to learning, we will provide scholarships for the certificates for 100,000 people in EMEA. Scholarships will be distributed through local organizations like Fundae and SEPE in Spain, APDC and IEFP in Portugal, the London Borough of Camden in the UK, OAED in Greece, Czechitas in Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Agency for Digital Development (ADD) in Morocco and RootHub in Nigeria. Additional local collaborations will be announced soon. 

We’re also focused on ways to address gender and economic inequalities, which have been further widened by the pandemic. Underrepresented groups, low-income workers and women are more exposed to hard-hit sectors, like food service or hospitality, and are therefore more at risk of losing their jobs. Older workers without computer experience also face unique challenges as they struggle more to get back into work. Google.org will allocate 50,000 of these scholarships for people from underserved communities, providing access to people from all backgrounds.

Google.org through an initial €5 million grant to INCO, a global nonprofit organisation, will work with over 50 local nonprofits to provide services like career advice, interview preparation, childcare vouchers and language support. These organisations include Riga Tech Girls, a woman-led nonprofit in Latvia that will distribute scholarships to underprivileged women to help get more women into tech jobs.

While there are people that cannot find a job because they don't have the right skills, 40% of employers in Europe also struggled to find qualified people. Joining policy efforts led by the European Commission and others to help bridge the skills gap between employers and workers, we’re committed to gathering companies and organizations who, like us, recognize the Google Career Certificates and openly express their interest in receiving applications from graduates. Certificate graduates can also apply for our apprenticeship programs. 

Technology must help everyone, no matter their location, race, age or education level. Governments and companies must rethink how we equip people with new skills by removing barriers to learning and investing in innovative partnerships — otherwise these inequalities will only grow.  We hope that with these new efforts and the support of our public sector partners, even more people can develop the skills to thrive and continue growing their careers through technology.

Related Article

Joining the European Commission’s Pact for Skills

Google is joining the European Commission’s Pact for Skills to help build an economy that is digital, sustainable and works for everyone.

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Career certificates and more ways we’re helping job seekers

At Google, our mission has always been to make sure that information serves everyone in important moments, whether it’s helping you find a COVID vaccine near you or get a new job that creates a better life for you and your family.


For Rey Justo, the last year has been full of important moments. When the pandemic hit, he lost his job installing fireplaces in Sacramento, Calif., and he and his family had to move in with his grandparents. He had always been interested in technology, so he enrolled in the Google IT Support Certificate through Merit America. After completing the program in three months, he was hired as an apprentice at Zennify, a computer software company.


With more businesses embracing digital ways of working, it’s estimated that 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025. As U.S. job growth returns with more people getting vaccinated, we are committed to ensuring that all Americans have the skills they need to benefit from greater economic opportunity. To help, today we’re announcing new efforts, including opening up enrollment for our latest career certificates, expanding our employer consortium, and introducing new tools to improve the job search.

Enroll now: More Google Career Certificates

Starting today, enrollment is open for our latest Google Career Certificates, in the fields of Data Analytics, Project Management, and User Experience (UX) Design. We’re also announcing a new Associate Android Developer Certification, which prepares learners for entry level jobs in Android development. With 1.3 million jobs open in these fields right now in the U.S., the opportunity is significant.


We’re also providing 100,000 scholarships to be distributed through nonprofits, workforce development boards, and other community organizations such as Per Scholas, NPower and Goodwill. And we’re working closely with the National Association of Workforce Boards to make sure that local workforce programs, one-stop centers, and community employers know how to refer local job seekers to these certificate programs, as well as connect graduates to local jobs. 


These certificates have already been successful in bringing in more talent from groups traditionally underrepresented in tech: 53% of graduates of the IT Support Certificate in the U.S. have been female, Black, Latino or veterans. And 82% of graduates overall say the program helped them advance their career within six months, including getting a raise, finding a new job, or starting a new business. 

Get hired: Expanding our consortium to 130+ employers

More than 130 employers have joined our employer consortium, eager to hire people who have earned these certificates. Graduates can share their resumes directly with employers like Anthem, Verizon, Bayer, Deloitte, SAP, and Better.com, who are joining Accenture, Walmart, Infosys and, of course, Google. We’re also partnering with Guild Education, which works with Fortune 1000 companies, to bring Google Career Certificates to help some of the country’s largest employers upskill their workforce.


Not only is Google hiring these certificate graduates, we’re using the certificates themselves to upskill and reskill Google teams, from IT support techs to data analysts. We’re also opening applications for Google's apprenticeship program in our Career Certificate fields in addition to a few other professional tracks. We will hire hundreds of apprentices over the coming years to participate in on-the-job training and applied learning.


Globally, we’re sponsoring 100,000 scholarships for our Career Certificates in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In India, we’re working to make certificates more accessible and launch an employer consortium. And in addition to our Career Certificates, today we’re also making our cloud computing, big data and machine learning trainings free for U.S. job seekers to help prepare for jobs in these high-growth fields.

Improving the Job Search experience

For many job seekers, it can be difficult to find open roles that match their experience and education. Over the past year, Google Search queries like “great jobs without a degree” spiked 850% in the U.S. Now when you search for “no degree jobs” in the U.S., you’ll see a new job carousel highlighting relevant opportunities near you. You can also filter by education and experience requirements, and there will be new labels on positions that do not mention degrees in their requirements. We’re also working with job sites — including Glassdoor, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Snagajob and CareerBuilder — and U.S. employers to make education and experience requirements clearer on job postings.

View of the new job search experience when searching for jobs with “no degree”

View of the new job search experience when searching for jobs with “no degree”

A more inclusive economic recovery

Since launching Grow with Google in 2017, we’ve helped 6 million Americans get training in digital skills and nearly 170,000 Americans get a new job and increase their income. Now, as economic recovery accelerates in communities around the U.S. and across the globe, we have an opportunity to help build an economy that is more inclusive and equitable. That’s what today’s announcements are designed to do, and we’re excited to partner with employers, community colleges, nonprofits and job seekers to make it happen.

How Google is helping Latina business owners like me

Making the leap to start a small business is daunting, to say the least. But I had a crazy dream and the drive to see it through, so in 2013 I left my law career and created Reina Rebelde, a makeup brand focused on Latinas. Latinas are a significant population of cosmetics consumers, but corporate brands were selling to us in a way that lacked authenticity. I felt like they were taking us for granted. With Reina Rebelde, I wanted to create products and a brand that celebrates Latinas and our diverse heritage. 


I had to learn so much to get this company started, but one of the most important steps I took was to make sure I was making the most of digital tools. My website is critical to sharing our mission and showcasing our products. I use insights from Google Analytics to help me understand changing shopping habits and demands so I can best optimize my website to meet the needs of my customers. As the business has grown, Google Workspace tools like Gmail, Google Meet and Google Drive have been instrumental in ensuring my team is always connected and engaged with customers, especially now that we’re all working from home. 


The pandemic has shown us that it’s crucial to be able to quickly pivot and be flexible. I know that many businesses in my community are struggling right now: 32% of Latino-owned businesses have been forced to close due to COVID-19. So I wanted to share some resources, available in both Spanish and English, to help businesses learn how to best use digital tools and stand out online. 


  • Google for Small Business is now available in Spanish. This tool gives small business owners a personalized plan with recommendations for the right Google products to help your business meet its goals.  

  • Grow with Google has a library of free, on-demand workshops in Spanish, for business owners in a variety of industries and of all skill levels. 

  • Grow with Google has Digital Coaches based in 20 cities who regularly host workshops in English and Spanish specifically designed to help Latino and Black business owners thrive online. Coaches like Mary Rábago in Phoenix, Arizona, teach Latino entrepreneurs how to build a searchable website, use Google tools to stay productive and use tools, like YouTube or Google Maps, to connect with customers. 

  • If you're a local business that identifies as women-led, you can add the attribute to your Business Profile on Google. By doing so, your business can potentially appear for users on Google Maps and Search who search for queries like “women-led shops” or “women-led restaurants.”

Google para Empresas Pequeñas

g.co/empresaspequenas

Owning my own business has been such a challenging and rewarding experience. This International Women’s Day, I’m celebrating all of my fellow women business owners who are working hard to make their dreams a reality and their communities a better place.

Supporting small businesses around the world

Small businesses are the backbone of the global economy and at the core of many of Google’s tools, services and products. So when the pandemic hit last year, we announced a $200 million investment fund as part of our $800+ million commitment to support small businesses in the face of COVID-19.

We set out to partner with organizations who share our desire to empower small businesses in underserved communities, which are often overlooked by traditional lenders.  

In the U.S. we are partnering with Opportunity Finance Network (OFN). To date, OFN has helped us provide over $90 million in low-interest loans from the Grow with Google Small Business Fund and Google.org grants to over thirty Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the country. CDFIs in turn finance hundreds of small businesses, like Gem City Market, a new grocery cooperative that secured funding from Finance Fund Capital Corporation (FCAP) to help them provide affordable, quality kitchen staples to the Dayton, Ohio, community. 

A group of people holding a sign advertising Gem City Market in Ohio

Today, we are announcing our international partners who will help fulfill our $75 million commitment to small businesses outside of the U.S. We've partnered with two innovative government-sponsored investment initiatives, with the belief that public-private partnerships can provide creative solutions to meet the needs of small businesses in this critical time:

  • In Europe, we are proud to be partnering with the European Investment Fund (EIF), an EU body supporting Europe’s small and medium-size businesses. We will be the first company investing in two EIF funds: $15 million in loan capital that will support more than 1000 European small businesses and $10 million in EIF’s Life Sciences Fund, a venture capital fund that will help support approximately 200 life sciences companies, many of which are helping with the COVID-19 crisis. This Life Sciences Fund is also supported by the European Commission’s European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).

  • In Latin America, with the help of a long-term partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank through its innovation lab, we are allocating $8 million to increase the capital available in the region for small businesses. Two out of three workers in Latin America are employed by a small business, which makes their success one of the most essential elements for economic recovery in the region.

In addition, we’re working with non-government partners who have a long track record of providing resources to businesses that are generally overlooked by traditional lenders:

  • In Africa, the Middle East and Indonesia, we’ve established a $26 million loan initiative with Kiva, an organization which crowdfunds loans to unlock capital for the underserved around the world. Kiva’s global reach, local relationships and mission-driven approach make them an ideal partner to scale across several regions. Over the coming months, Google and Kiva will work together to create financial solutions that will support thousands of small businesses spanning 10 countries. Google.org is also providing a separate $1 million grant to help Kiva build capacity for their local partnerships and research the impact of this program.

  • In India, we will invest $15 million to support small and micro enterprises across the country and are in discussions with local partners. And in Israel, we will provide $1 million to the Ogen-Israel Social Loan Fund, which is designed to provide accessible, low-interest loans to micro and small businesses as well as non-profit organizations.

From our inception, Google has had a special relationship with small businesses around the world – helping them scale, innovate and reach new customers.  With today’s announcement, we’re proud to help them meet a new challenge — accessing capital needed to recover and build resiliency for the future. 

Digital skills training for 100,000 Black women

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of other Black women. As Google’s Chief Diversity Officer, I credit much of my success to others creating opportunities for me to succeed in the workplace. That’s why today, as a part of this work, I’m focused on helping our employees build connections and uplift each other, and ensuring that everyone has the resources and support they need to thrive at Google. It’s also why I joined The Links, Incorporated — one of the largest volunteer organizations committed to serving Black communities.

Today, we’re proud to further that mission by announcing Grow with Google: Black Women Lead, an initiative to train 100,000 Black women in digital skills by 2022. The pandemic has resulted in unemployment for millions of Americans, and its impacts are further revealing the economic opportunity gaps that still exist for Black women. During COVID-19, women have accounted for 56% of workforce exits, and Black women have been particularly impacted, losing 154,000 jobs in December 2020 alone. 

Because 80% of middle-skills jobs  in the U.S. require proficiency in digital tools, our new initiative will focus on this essential training. We’re thrilled to do this important work in partnership with six organizations led by Black women — The Links, Inc., Dress for Success and four sororities of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Google will train these partners to deliver Grow with Google digital skills training and career development workshops to Black women in their communities. Dress for Success will offer additional career services including interview preparation, mentorship and networking to women participating in the program. This initiative is part of a $15 million commitment the company announced in June to help Black jobseekers grow their digital skills.

I am grateful to the leaders of these organizations, who are uniting for the first time with the shared goal of upskilling 100,000 Black women with digital skills. Their legacy, expertise and credibility will help ensure we accomplish this mission. Here’s more information about each of the initiative’s partners:

  • A photo of dozens of women wearing pink looking up at the camera

    Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.: Established in 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha’s mission is to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to promote unity and friendship among college women, to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve their social stature, to maintain a progressive interest in college life and to be of “Service to All Mankind."

  • A group of women wearing red and black Delta Sigma Theta sorority apparel

    Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.: Established in 1913, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is an organization of college-educated women committed to the constructive development of its members and to public service with a primary focus on the Black community.

  • A group of women wearing blue dresses and white jackets standing outside a building.

    Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.: Established in 1922, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated’s mission is to foster the ideas of service, charity, scholarship, civil and cultural endeavors, sisterhood and finer womanhood.

  • Six women in jeans and blue and yellow Sigma Gamma Rho sorority apparel

    Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.: Established in 1922 by seven educators, Sigma Gamma Rho’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for women and their families in the U.S. and globally through community service, civil action and social action.

  • A group of dozens of women wearing light green shirts standing on steps outdoors.

    The Links, Inc.: Established in 1946, The Links is a group of women committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry.

  • Four women wearing black and sporting nametags talking to one another.

    Dress for Success: Established in 1997, Dress for Success helps 1.2 million women work towards economic independence and upward mobility. Women benefiting from Dress for Success are provided a support network, professional attire and the development tools to kickstart their job search for the first time or to relaunch their careers.

I’m looking forward to seeing the impact of this initiative as we train 100,000 participants by spring 2022 and set them up for success with digital skills that are so important today, and for the future.

Connect with family during Black History Month and beyond

Every year, I look forward to family reunions. From the matching T-shirts to the impromptu line dances, reunions allow my family to pass down traditions and preserve memories across many generations. But now, when social distancing has become the norm, staying connected with family and friends is even more challenging. When meeting in person is impossible, it’s crucial to find ways to get together virtually using technology.

My family, of course, isn’t the only one having to change what reunions look like. This year’s theme for Black History Month, set by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity. That’s why Applied Digital Skills, Grow with Google’s free, video-based digital literacy curriculum, created a new collection in honor of Black History Month with a lesson that allows learners of all ages to create a virtual family reunion using Google Slides. This lesson incorporates aspects of culturally responsive learning by centering and valuing students’ cultures and identities, all while learning digital skills.

Yolanda Payne, a teacher fellow from Athens, Georgia, has incorporated the new collection into her students’ curriculum. I sat down with her virtually to talk about her experience integrating technology and culturally relevant lessons into her classroom, and how she’s helping her students connect with loved ones in celebration of Black History Month. (Looking for more? Check out the full collection of lessons from Applied Digital Skills to help you teach or learn about Black history, culture and identity, not just this month but all year round.)

What does Black History Month mean to you?

Growing up, Black history was never really mentioned in the classroom, except during Black History Month. I believe that Black history is every day, not only in February. I was fortunate enough to have parents who taught me about the great Black leaders and the sacrifices they made for us. Magazines like Jet, Ebony and Essence were common sources of knowledge on Black history in our household. 

Now, as a teacher, I noticed that my students didn't see themselves or those that looked like them in the history books. Because I knew what it was like to not learn about my culture in school, I’ve made it my mission to incorporate learning about all people in our classroom. Black history is everybody's history if we do it right.

Black history is everybody’s history if we do it right.

This year’s Black History Month theme is “The Black Family.” How does family play a role in your life?

The pandemic has really made me value my family a lot more. I’m originally from Mississippi, so when talking to my stepdad back home recently, I realized just how much I missed my family. Family is the heart of everything for me, and I haven’t been able to see them in over eight months. Now that we have had to stay apart from those we love, it emphasized for me the importance of having strong familial ties. Without the anchor of my community, I would have felt even more adrift during these tumultuous times.

Photos of Yolanda Payne and her family members

Yolanda and her son. Top right: Yolanda’s aunt, dad, grandmother, grandfather and uncles. Bottom right: Yolanda’s great aunts.

Tell us about your experience using the Applied Digital Skills Create a Virtual Family Reunion lesson with your students.

I worked with my co-teacher, Mrs. Pamela, to do this lesson with our middle-school students. The students were able to collaborate with their family to create a virtual reunion using Google Slides. I loved the ease of use, the lesson plan and the adaptability. Students watched an overview of what to expect, but could then add their own twist and tailor it to their interests. I really liked the topic of the family reunion because it gives students a way to connect with family or friends in a meaningful way. The lesson is relevant to students' lives and is teaching them the necessary digital skills that many assume they already have. And the lesson isn’t just for students: I plan to try it with my own family, too! My cousins and I have already started planning out our slides in our family group chat.

An example of creating a virtual family reunion using Applied Digital Skills

An example student project used in the Applied Digital Skills Create a Virtual Family Reunion lesson.

Why is it important for you to incorporate lessons like these into your curriculum?

I am fortunate to have open communications with my students about life, culture and what I have encountered in the "real world" as a Black woman. If students feel that their teacher is being their authentic self, it empowers them to do the same. As we discuss cultural and life events, it is important that students see themselves as a part of a larger community and context. It is impossible to tell the whole truth about a community when excluding people who are instrumental in that community. 

What role do you see technology playing in your students’ lives in the future?

Digital skills are important for students to function in a literate society. When I was growing up, there was an emphasis on reading, writing and arithmetic. In today's society, we have to include digital literacy skills as a core component because digital learning is embedded in all areas of society. 

Digital tools and skills bring economic recovery in Canada

When 2020 began, like so many others, I saw the opportunity for technology to help businesses grow, positively impact Canadians and address economic challenges. But I could have never imagined how the year would unfold and the profound impact digital technology would have on our daily lives.


Eight months into the pandemic, I made a purchase from 22 & Lou, where owner Laura Freel makes jams and marmalades out of her home kitchen in Toronto. Laura’s preserves had been flying off local market shelves, but with sudden store closures, she quickly realized that to keep her business alive, she’d have to start selling online. With no previous experience, she signed up for Digital Main Street’s ShopHERE powered by Google program, was paired with a Canadian student to build her website, and in a matter of weeks, her business was back up and running.


Laura’s is just one of the many stories of resilience I’ve heard from business owners across the country. And it’s a story we’re proud to be a part of. Today I’m sharing an update on how our teams worked alongside Canadian businesses and local organizations to support our country’s economic recovery. 

Statistics about digital skills in Canada

Helping Canadian businesses bounce back

We knew it was critical to get small businesses online quickly. That’s why in May, we invested $1 million to expand the ShopHERE program, and made a pledge to get 50,000 Canadian small businesses online. The program is currently operating in nearly 450 municipalities, and will continue to expand across the country, helping businesses like 22 & Lou start selling online. 


More than 1.5 million Canadians have visited our Small Business Hub, which provides the tools needed to get online, connect with customers and build digital skills. We made it free for Canadian retailers to list their products on the Google Shopping tab. And to help businesses keep up with the demand for e-commerce, we delivered Google Ads training through Skillshop and Google Academy, and worked with partners like the Retail Council of Canada, Export Development Canada, Startup Canada and Business Development Bank of Canada to deliver free virtual training to over 20,000 Canadian entrepreneurs.

Giving back to local communities 

But it’s not just about businesses, we are just as committed to helping the communities in which we live and work. As part of our COVID-19 local response, our Canadian sites donated over $800,000 in Community Grants through our philanthropic arm, Google.org. The organizations that received grants, such as Region Ready, Toronto Public Library Foundation, Kids Code Jeunesse and the Ottawa Food Bank, address critical areas of need, like food insecurity, connectivity, education and PPE for frontline health workers. Through the gift match program Google offers employees annually, Canadian Googlers have raised $1.6 million for organizations in their communities and around the world.

Digital skills training for the future of work

We need to better align the skills of the Canadian workforce with the jobs of the future. This year we transformed our free Grow with Google training to virtual formats and have trained more than 80,000 Canadians on digital skills. With school closures, we trained more than 10,000 Canadian teachers in G Suite for Education, to help them adapt to teaching from home. We also funded community organizations that do critical work to boost digital skills. Google.org announced  a $2.5 million grant for NPower Canada, to go toward IT training for 1,700 young adults from underrepresented groups. The first cohort graduated in September, and over half of the graduates have already secured employment just three months post-training. Last week, Google.org announced a $250,000 grant to ComIT, to provide free IT training to 450 Indigenous learners across Canada.

Supporting tech in Canada

We’ll continue our expansion plans to build new offices in Toronto, Montreal and Waterloo. To strengthen our support for the broader tech ecosystem, we launched two accelerators for Canadian startups. Collectively, the Google for Startups Accelerator Canada and Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders have enrolled 14 Canadian startups. We’ve also renewed our commitment to Canada’s AI ecosystem with an additional $3.5+ million grant to Mila, the world’s largest deep learning research institute based in Québec.  

In a year that has brought about many changes for us all, the pandemic is one thing we all have in common. And collaboration has been our strongest resource. As we all move increasingly online to find products and services, digitization is clearly the next driver of sustained growth for our country.  But we can’t do it alone. We’ll continue to work alongside businesses, local organizations and nonprofits into 2021 and beyond.