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Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas has teamed up with Google to provide FREE Google Professional Certificates! Scholarships are awarded to individuals who are committed to finishing the Google Career Certificate Program. Certificates can be earned in IT Support, Data Analytics, Project Management, and User Experience Design. Earning a certificate provides job training in entry-level jobs in fast-growing fields. Plus, once you’ve completed, you’ll be able to share your resumes with over 130 companies—including Walmart, Verizon, Deloitte, and of course. Google.  

Get on the fast track to a competitively paid job by submitting the Interest Form today!

All training must be completed by January 31, 2023.


 

If you like: uncovering trends and patterns, visualizations

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  • What is IT Support?

    Businesses, nonprofits, school systems, and government organizations all rely on technology. Computers break, systems fail, phones die—when that happens, we need experts to fix them. IT support is all about troubleshooting and problem solving when the tech fails and providing great customer service along the way. This includes setting up computers for users within an organization, overseeing computer systems, and debugging whenever a problem arises. A job in IT can mean in-person or remote help desk work in a range of organizations across many different industries.Why start a career in IT?With entry-level jobs in IT fetching an average salary of $55,000 per year, this field is extremely lucrative with a high potential for growth. In the U.S., there were over 86,500 open entry-level IT support roles in 2020, and jobs in this field are projected to grow 8% between 2019 and 2029. Faster than the average of all other occupations. Basic IT skills will position you to secure an introductory-level role, and from then on, the opportunities are endless. The stackability of these skills means that after gaining a baseline level of knowledge through the Google IT Support program, it is easy to pick up more advanced skills.

    Why did Google create this program?

    Google has long faced an issue that many other companies also contend with -- we had open IT support roles, and not enough qualified candidates to fill them. So, a few years ago we began working with a nonprofit organization to provide training and pathways to roles in technical support at Google. We learned that not only is IT support a highly teachable field, but that we could teach someone completely new to the industry the IT fundamentals in under six months. So, we decided to build an IT training program on Coursera, created entirely by Googlers who are experts in IT support so this training could be available to everyone.

In this 5 course program, you’ll learn in-demand skills that prepare you for an entry-level job in IT support. You’ll hear from Google employees whose foundations in IT support, served as launchpads for their own careers. By dedicating under 10 hours per week, you can complete the certificate in less than 6 months.

This program also prepares you for the CompTIA A+ exams, the industry-standard certification for IT—you’ll earn a dual credential when you complete both.

Through a mix of videos, assessments, and hands-on labs, you’ll be introduced to troubleshooting, customer service, networking, operating systems, system administration, and security — foundational IT skills required for an entry-level job.

Skills Gained include:

● Customer service

● Troubleshooting

● Network protocols

● Cloud computing

● Windows operating system

● Linux command line

● Systems administration

● Encryption algorithms and techniques

Jobs Considered:

Computer Support Specialist, Network / Systems Support Specialist, IT Manager, IT Administrator, Network Administrator, Help Desk Technician, Network Support Technician, IT Operations/Networking Manager, Technical Support Engineer/Analyst, Systems Analyst, Database Administrator, IT Technician, Computer Specialist.

✔ Gain skills required to succeed in an entry-level IT job

✔ Learn to perform day-to-day IT support tasks including computer assembly, wireless networking, installing programs, and customer service

✔ Learn how to provide end-to-end customer support, ranging from identifying problems to troubleshooting and debugging

✔ Learn to use systems including Linux, Domain Name Systems, Command-Line Interface, and Binary Code

Click here to download a print-ready file of the Google IT Support Career Certificate.





If you like: uncovering trends and patterns, visualizations

Sign-Up Now

What is data analytics?

Data is a group of facts that can take many different forms, such as numbers, pictures, words, videos, observations, and more. We use and create data every day, like when we stream a show or song or post on social media.Data analytics is the collection, transformation, and organization of these facts to draw conclusions, make predictions, and drive informed decision-making

Why start a career in data analytics?

Companies must continually adjust their products, services, tools, and business strategies to meet consumer preferences and demand and to react to emerging trends. Because of this, data analyst roles are in demand and competitively paid.

Data analysts make sense of data and numbers to help organizations make better business decisions. They prepare, process, analyze, and visualize data, discovering patterns and trends and answering key questions along the way. Their work empowers their wider team to make better business decisions.

Over 8 courses, gain in-demand skills that prepare you for an entry-level job. You’ll learn from Google employees whose foundations in data analytics served as launchpads for their own careers. At under 10 hours per week, you can complete the certificate in less than 6 months.

This program includes over 180 hours of instruction and hundreds of practice-based assessments, which will help you simulate real-world data analytics scenarios that are critical for success in the workplace.

The content is highly interactive and exclusively developed by Google employees with decades of experience in data analytics. Through a mix of videos, assessments, and hands-on labs, you’ll get introduced to analysis tools and platforms and key analytical skills required for an entry-level job.

Click here to download a print-ready version of the Google Data Analytics Certificate program.

 If you like: solving problems, organization, working with people

Sign-Up Now

  • What is IT Support?

    Businesses, nonprofits, school systems, and government organizations all rely on technology. Computers break, systems fail, phones die—when that happens, we need experts to fix them. IT support is all about troubleshooting and problem solving when the tech fails and providing great customer service along the way. This includes setting up computers for users within an organization, overseeing computer systems, and debugging whenever a problem arises. A job in IT can mean in-person or remote help desk work in a range of organizations across many different industries.

    Why start a career in IT?

    With entry-level jobs in IT fetching an average salary of $55,000 per year, this field is extremely lucrative with a high potential for growth. In the U.S., there were over 86,500 open entry-level IT support roles in 2020, and jobs in this field are projected to grow 8% between 2019 and 2029. Faster than the average of all other occupations. Basic IT skills will position you to secure an introductory-level role, and from then on, the opportunities are endless. The stackability of these skills means that after gaining a baseline level of knowledge through the Google IT Support program, it is easy to pick up more advanced skills.

    Why did Google create this program?

    Google has long faced an issue that many other companies also contend with -- we had open IT support roles, and not enough qualified candidates to fill them. So, a few years ago we began working with a nonprofit organization to provide training and pathways to roles in technical support at Google. We learned that not only is IT support a highly teachable field, but that we could teach someone completely new to the industry the IT fundamentals in under six months. So, we decided to build an IT training program on Coursera, created entirely by Googlers who are experts in IT support so this training could be available to everyone.


Over 6 courses, gain in-demand skills that will prepare you for an entry-level job. Learn from Google employees whose foundations in project management, served as launchpads for their own careers. At under 10 hours per week, you can complete in less than six months.

This program includes over 140 hours of instruction and hundreds of practice-based assessments which will help you simulate real-world project management scenarios that are critical for success in the workplace.

The content is highly interactive and exclusively developed by Google employees with decades of experience in program and project management.


Through a mix of videos, assessments, and hands-on activities, you’ll get introduced to initiating, planning, and running both traditional and Agile projects. You’ll develop a toolbox of templates and artifacts to demonstrate your understanding of key project management elements, including managing a project schedule, budget, and team. You’ll also get access to a resume-building tool, mock interviews, and career support designed to help you with your job search.


Download a PDF version of the  Google Project Management Career Certificate Program.

 If you like: understanding people, drawing, thinking creatively

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  • What is a UX designer?

    User experience (UX) designers focus on the experience that users have while using products like websites, apps, and physical objects. UX designers make those everyday interactions more useful, usable, and accessible to users. The role of an entry-level UX designer might include coming up with ideas to address user problems, conducting research with users, and designing wireframes, mockups, and prototypes.

    Why start a career in UX design?As the digital world continues to expand, companies are recognizing that good user experience is a necessity, which has led to UX design being a high-growth and in-demand field. UX designers spend their time making, creating, and organizing the interfaces people interact with daily, like mobile apps, websites, smartwatches, and physical products. Their work ensures that these interfaces are easier and more enjoyable to use.

    Who is this program for? You! No prior experience with design or specific tools is required. All you need is an interest in helping to create better experiences for users of apps, websites, and physical products.

Over 7 courses, gain in-demand skills that will prepare you for an entry-level job. At under 10 hours per week, you can complete the certificate in less than 6 months.

You will create designs on paper and in digital design tools like Figma and Adobe XD. By the end of the certificate program, you will have a professional UX portfolio that includes three end-to-end projects, so that you’re ready to apply for jobs.

This program includes over 200 hours of instruction and hundreds of practice-based activities and assessments that simulate real-world UX design scenarios and are critical for success in the workplace. The content is highly interactive and developed by Google employees with decades of experience in UX design.

You’ll learn how to complete the design process from beginning to end, including:

✔ Empathizing with users, by developing empathy maps, personas, user stories, and user journey maps

✔ Defining user pain points

✔ Coming up with ideas for design solutions

✔ Creating wireframes, mockups, and prototypes

✔ Testing designs through usability studies

✔ Iterating on designs based on feedback

Through a mix of videos, readings, assessments, and hands-on activities, you’ll learn in-demand design tools, Figma and Adobe XD. You’ll even create a portfolio that includes three projects to share with potential employers to showcase the skills you learned in this program.

Click here to download a print-ready file of the Google UX Design Career Certificate Program.


Don't Miss Out! Limited Scholarships are available. Complete the Sign-Up Form today.


Still have questions? Contact Cecil Smith at 254.296.5268

Testimonials

I believe the certificate showed my then prospective employer proof of my skills and qualification especially coming from a global brand, Google.

Chukwuma E. 

Certificate Learner

"The quality of teaching and the videos is very high. Lots of interesting assignments and articles. The time flies by."

Karlan

Certificate Learner

"We need more people with UX skills in tech and this is a great avenue for people to start a new career in this field or make a career change."


Catherine

Vice President of Design at Google

Offices & Centers Closed | Workshops & Orientations Canceled

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Our workforce centers and administrative offices are closed Thursday, Feb. 18, due to inclement weather. All events, including virtual workshops, orientations, tax preparation and other in-person appointments, have been canceled. If you have questions, please email us at questions@hotworkforce.com, and our staff will respond as soon as possible.