Cloud computing has become an essential part of tech, not to mention part of most people’s day-to-day lives, whether they realize it or not. Many Fortune 500 companies utilize top tech companies’ cloud arms, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, to power business operations.
Reliance on cloud technology is only growing. End-user spending on public cloud services is expected to grow by 21.7% to nearly $600 billion in 2023, according to Gartner.
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To meet these demands, there is an ever growing need for experts with the right know-how. Studies from 451 Research identified that a cloud skills gap is still an issue, with many companies still having difficulty finding qualified candidates.
To help ensure tech workers have the up-to-date skills they need, Google Cloud is on a mission to train more than 40 million people with Google Cloud skills. As part of this, the company offers over 80 different skill badges in subjects like AI, cybersecurity, and data science—and their intersection with cloud technology.
Earlier this month, Google announced three new additions in areas of high demand. They include an introductory course, Build a Data Mesh with Dataplex, as well as two immediate courses, Mitigate Threats and Vulnerabilities with Security Command Center and Build Custom Processors with Document AI.
Lee Moore, vice president of Global Google Cloud Consulting, says Google Cloud is well on its way to reach its training goals, and these new courses will help greatly. Over 1.5 million skills badges have been awarded thus far.
Badges can take anywhere from around one hour to eight hours to complete, depending on the skill level. Here’s the next most important question: how much do they cost? Moore says the badges are financially accessible for pretty much anybody. Users can pay for a monthly subscription for $29 or purchase course credits individually.
The most popular badge? AI fundamentals
While not as substantial as a full-on certification—Google Cloud offers nearly a dozen certifications—the badges offer a way to upskill and get exposed to in-demand tech topics, especially with AI transforming the tech sector.
Google Cloud’s generative AI fundamentals badge, which it offers for free, has been the fastest growing credential in the platform’s history. Moore says he believes the interest comes from the fact that AI transcends all aspects of technology and computing.
“The really key driving factor is that if you’re going to address the AI opportunity in society, and in employers, it’s going to take millions of skilled people,” Moore says.
The badge is available in 11 languages, including most recently Ukrainian and Polish.
“Our philosophy was (that) we wanted to be early to market with the ability to enable all members of society to access that training and learning in a safe and responsible manner. And to do that at the entry level for free—so that they were able to get on that cycle, which is what we’ve been doing,” Moore tells Fortune.
Importance of upskilling—with cloud
Users of Google Cloud’s platform range from college students to established IT professionals who are looking to upskill. Continuous learning is something that many tech and education experts believe will increasingly become the norm as skills become less relevant faster.
According to IBM, the half-life of professional skills—meaning the value of the skills earned today would be cut in half—was once estimated at 10 to 15 years. Today, the half-life is five years or less. This means that many companies have shifted to skills-based hiring approaches.
“We believe, and the research shows us, that employers are really using skills assessments as a mechanism of assessing individual candidates as well as their educational background. So we believe that these (badges) are useful, whether you’re doing a degree, finished your degree, don’t have a degree; they are good for you to build out your capability and show and prove that to your employer,” Moore says.
A Gallup survey conducted on behalf of Google Cloud found that over 70% of badge earners reported believing their resume is more impressive after earning badges with Google Cloud’s platform.
Learning and understanding cloud and AI technologies are key for future innovation, Moore says.
“Every major technology transformation in the future is going to be cloud based,” he says. “It’s the new electricity for technology. But what it really gives companies is to bring all of their data and their computational power into one place, and then exploit that in its to its fullest. So enables an organization to get true visibility of their customers, their partners, their own business, and work out how to innovate.”
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