Education Alternatives - Certifications
September 25, 2020
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Intelligent Partnerships has remained committed to providing resources for our partners. We previously released resources on Employment Training Journeys and Resume Position for Competitive Job Markets to help workers find sustainable careers. More resources for workers are available on our Personal Resources Page.
CERTIFICATIONS
Recently, many tech companies have begun hiring employees who do not have a formal degree. Monster.com has compiled a list of "10 high-paying tech jobs you can get without a college degree". However, these jobs do require certain certifications, which we briefly addressed in our previous releases. Indeed.com has put together "The Top Highest-Paying IT Certifications", which is a useful guide as well. These certifications, though, can often be costly and require a large time investment.
The IT Registered Apprenticeship Program models are also a viable option when electing to enter the IT field.
CERTIFICATIONS VS. DEGREES
While certifications have not fully replaced degrees yet, they may be forcing Universities to take notice. What is certain is that degrees are no longer the only pathway to careers in the tech industry. This is just the latest example of sustainable careers that require a certification instead of a degree.
Certifications like the Google Career Certificates, which are both affordable and more accessible than ever, are a very important step to providing pathways to sustainable careers and equity to workers everywhere.
GOOGLE CAREER CERTIFICATES
In August 2020, Google announced that it was launching "Career Certificates". There are currently two Career Certificates available for IT Support Specialist and IT Automation with Python, but there are plans to release an additional three Career Certificates coming soon: Data Analyst, Project Manager, and UX Designer.
Kent Walker, Senior Vice President of Global Affairs at Google, tweeted: "In our own hiring, we will now treat these new career certificates as the equivalent of a four-year degree for related roles."
These certifications do not require any previous education or experience. The courses are hosted on Coursera, cost $49 per month, and can take as little as 6 months to complete. Coursera also offers a variety of other courses, both free and fee-based, on a variety of topics and subjects. Furthermore, there are grants and scholarships available to help cover the costs of the courses. Those who enroll also have the added benefit of being able to move through the courses at their own pace, rather than having to follow a strict course schedule.
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