Google has announced a range of additions to the free courses it offers as part of its Google Digital Garage education initiative, while it's also added official certification to help add additional weight to the training.
As explained by Google:
"Up until now, digital marketing has been the core of our [Digital Garage] training, but as the nature of work changes, and the demand for a broader set of both technical and soft skills grows, we believe it’s critical to incorporate these skills into our programs. That's why we're partnering with FutureLearn, The Open University, OpenClassrooms and Goodwill Community Foundation, leading providers of online education, to expand our current modules with new training on soft skills."
The new courses on offer include:
- Learn techniques for public speaking - Learn how to plan and deliver presentations that capture the attention of your listeners, whether it’s sharing a business plan or motivating your employees or colleagues.
- Communicate your ideas through storytelling and design - Ideas become more powerful when they’re shared. This course will help you discover simple tools like mind maps, storyboards and storytelling to help you engage people with ideas.
- Business communications - Learn how to craft clear, well-structured emails, presentations or reports.
- Effective networking - Whether you’re running a business, looking for a job, or ready for that next career move, learning how to network is key. In this course, we will introduce you to the principles of networking, to help you develop your professional brand.
As noted, those are in addition to the existing digital marketing courses on offer within the Google Garage tools (though they may need to update the screenshots and get rid of that G+ logo).
The courses are definitely worth checking out, and add to the range of free digital marketing and literacy training tools now available, including recently updated courses from Facebook and the range of resources available from LinkedIn.
In addition to this, Google's also adding an extra level of authority to its training with certification:
"We know that when looking for a job, certifications are often essential in demonstrating acquired skills to potential employers. Today, The Open University, the largest academic institution in the UK, a leading European university, and a world leader in flexible distance learning, is adding their high-quality accreditation to our Google Digital Marketing Certificate. The certificate, already accredited by IAB Europe, provides jobseekers with a tangible way to demonstrate their skills, and is awarded to learners completing the free online training course available at Google Digital Garage."
Whether you've been working in digital marketing for years, or you're just a beginner, it's worth taking a look at the education courses on offer, and getting the information from the platforms themselves in relation to best practices, latest techniques and tips. Of course, not everyone will have time to undertake such training, but it is worth keeping in mind as a resource, for newcomers and as a refresher.
You can access Google's various training courses here.