As many businesses figure out new ways to go digital, one thing is clear: talent continues to be one of the key ways to enable an inclusive digital economy. Employers in Asia Pacific list technology as the leading in-demand skill, with digital marketing and e-commerce following close behind. Simultaneously, many people are looking to learn new skills that will help them meet the requirements of the evolving job market. So we must create new ways to help businesses and jobseekers alike.

Since 2015, we’ve partnered closely with local governments, the private sector and NGOs to train over 60 million people across Asia Pacific through our Grow with Google programs. We have long believed that making digital skills accessible to more people helps people get ready to take on high-demand jobs quickly, and helps build a stronger talent pipeline to prepare our economies for the future. Many programs are available online for learners to study at their own pace, and topics range from basic digital literacy to advanced professional skills (in areas like AI and machine learning) to cater to different needs.

To boost our efforts, this past year we launched the Google Career Certificates (GCC) program in 11 countries across Asia Pacific. These certificate programs lead to professional qualifications in fields like Data Analytics, IT, Digital Marketing, Project Management and UX Design. Working together with our public and private sector partners — such as the Ministry of Higher Education in Thailand, INCO in Indonesia and Ignite and IRM in Pakistan — we also made a commitment to make over 250,000 scholarships available to ensure that we provide equal learning opportunities for people from underserved groups. Through the program, GCC graduates like Michelle and Yubaraj in Australia, or Ramona in Singapore, have developed both the skills and confidence they needed to launch careers in tech. Seeing so many successful graduates transform their career trajectories has truly been heartwarming.