How Google is going to help Latino students at Stanislaus State prepare for careers
Students at California State University, Stanislaus, soon will have help getting ready for their careers through a Google initiative to train Latino students in digital skills.
The program marks an effort to increase economic mobility in the Latino community, according to a press release from Google. Almost 60% of undergraduate students at Stanislaus State are Latino, according to online enrollment data.
“Together with organizations like the Hispanic Association of Community Colleges and Universities, we aim to help bridge wealth and opportunity gaps in the Latino community, so that everyone has an opportunity to succeed in today’s digital economy,” said Ana Corrales, chief operating officer for Google’s Devices and Services, in the release.
Google’s goal is to train 200,000 Latino students in digital skills by 2025, according to the release. Stanislaus State leaders hope the programming will reach about 700 students per semester, said Julie Sedlemeyer, executive director of the Career and Professional Development Center.
Expanding career training
The program will begin in the spring semester, which starts online Friday. The program matches the goals of Stan State’s career center, Sedlemeyer said.
“It’s a good way to get prepared, and have some skills and be able to talk about or showcase those skills during an interview or on your resume,” she said.
Sedlemeyer noted that about three-quarters of the university’s undergraduates are first-generation college students, for whom career guidance is especially important. Google has targeted the program to Latinos because more than half of Latino workers lack digital skills, according to the National Skills Coalition. This serves as an obstacle to Latinos’ ability to secure in-demand jobs and gets in the way of economic mobility.
In fall 2020, Stan State launched an initiative called “CareerReadyU” to help students “build skills and confidence” through exploring areas of professional development and experiential learning.
Students have had access to LinkedIn Learning, a library of online skills courses, Sedlemeyer said. Now, students can also learn from five categories of courses in Google’s learning management system. The pathways are in using Google digital tools, exploring career paths, landing a job, succeeding in a job and starting a business, Sedlemeyer said.
The paths aren’t linear. Students can take courses from whichever area they choose.
Students will receive a $50 Amazon gift card for completing each pathway. They’ll also get a certificate of completion and a digital badge they can add to online profiles liked LinkedIn, Sedlemeyer said. The badges show potential employers that students have spent time learning a subject.
“It just gives you access to do trainings and expand your career readiness kind of at your own pace,” she said.
Over 20 U.S. colleges in Google program
More than 20 Hispanic Serving Institutions across the country are participating in the program. Other California schools include San Bernardino Valley College, California State University, San Bernardino, Los Angeles City College and Los Angeles Mission College.
The initiative is called the Grow with Google Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) Career Readiness Program and is intended to counter systemic barriers to economic opportunity for Latino workers, according to Google’s press release. It comes with a $2 million investment in the Hispanic Association of Community Colleges and Universities, a national organization representing Hispanic-serving Institutions.
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities invited Stanislaus State officials to apply for the grant. Stanislaus State received $25,000 for the first semester, Sedlemeyer said.
The program gives career centers funding and administers an in-person and online digital skills program for one semester. It includes career workshops, career counseling and programming on design thinking, project management and professional brand building, according to the release.
Emily Isaacman is the equity reporter for The Bee's community-funded Economic Mobility Lab, which features a team of reporters covering economic development, education and equity.
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