Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

A $300 “Degree” From Google Divides the Tech World

A $300 “Degree” From Google Divides the Tech World

A new route into the industry or a recipe for a generation of ‘disposable developers’? Google’s new scheme splits the crowd.

Google says that it will consider its new bite-sized, $300 training certificates as the “equivalent of a four-year degree for related roles” in a move that triggered a firestorm of debate this week, as traditional entry routes to tech continue to shift.

The Google Career Certificates scheme was originally designed to increase access to IT support jobs, but the programme was expanded this summer to take in three new areas: data analytics, project management, and UX Design.

Google says the six-month courses are designed and taught by Googlers who are experts in their field, and equip participants with the essential skills they need to get a job.

No degree or prior experience is required to take the course, and those who complete it get access to the Google IT Certificate Employer Consortium, where they can connect to top tech employers such as Intel and Hulu, as well as Google itself, in a bid to land much sought-after jobs.

While the scheme may be tempting to those looking to change career, others in the industry are more skeptical about its merits.

Software engineering legend Grady Booch, chief scientist for software engineering at IBM Research, is one of several leading industry figures to voice concerns, saying Google risks creating a “generation of disposable developers”.


Dr Chris Meah is founder of School of Code, which aims to help people from a wide variety of backgrounds, including the unemployed and refugees, get into computing. He disagrees, and welcomed the move.


Dr Chris Meah, founder of School of Code


He said: “I think it’s a good thing overall, having companies like Google showing that university level education isn’t everything. We’re seeing more and more that having a degree isn’t particularly relevant to a career as a programmer, and the more routes that are available for people the better, especially if it encourages other companies to do the same.

“It’s strange that they are charging for it – paying to get the opportunity to maybe work at Google is a bit odd – I don’t see why one of the world’s richest companies would put that extra barrier there.”

Birmingham-based School of Code runs 16-week bootcamps for people with no technical background, where they can learn to programme and how to work effectively as part of a high-performance team.

The bootcamps are delivered free of charge thanks to the support of the West Midlands Combined Authority and big local employers such as Santander and Bravissimo, who pay School of Code when they hire a graduate of the courses.

Chris adds that the lack of a team-work aspect could hinder those undertaking the Google scheme.

“The bigger issue is that if people could simply learn how to code on their own there wouldn’t be a problem in the first place because the internet is full of everything you need,” he said.

“People who learn on their own usually have some kind of technical background, or have a support network who can help. It’s much more difficult if you’re a complete beginner.”


A School of Code session gets underway


Google has not disclosed how many people secured new jobs as the result of its initial IT Support Certificate scheme, launched in 2019.

In the impact report on the programme it says that 84% of those who took part felt it had a positive impact on their careers, though the report also reveals that 43% of participants already had a four-year college degrees. Computer Business Review has reached out to Google for further comment.


In a blog post announcing the launch of the new career certificates, Kent Walker, Google’s SVP of global affairs said the company would be providing 100,000 free scholarships to those who might not otherwise be able to access the programme.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
U.S. Tech Stocks Slide on AI Boom Concerns
White House Confirms Talks Over Intel Stake
Trump Suggests U.S. Could Support Ukraine ‘By Air’
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
UK Government Tries to Sue 4chan for Breaching Online Safety Act
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
"Every Centimeter of Your Body Is a Masterpiece": The Shocking Meta Document Revealed
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
China Requires Data Centres to Source Majority of AI Chips Locally, For Technological Sovereignty
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
OpenAI’s ‘PhD-Level’ ChatGPT 5 Stumbles, Struggles to Even Label a Map
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×