In a bid to equip Filipinos for the jobs of tomorrow, Google has rolled out a selection of free courses, including those focused on artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and cybersecurity.

Yves Gonzalez, Head of Public Policy & Government Relations at Google Philippines, highlighted the initiative’s goal to make AI career paths more accessible to all, ABS-CBN reported.

“These courses will pave the way for more accessible career paths in AI. The best part is that they’re free—open to anyone, anytime, anywhere,” Gonzalez emphasized.

• Interested individuals can access these courses via this website .

Gonzalez elaborated on the course content, stating, “The courses cover a broad range of topics, including distinctions between generative AI and other AI types, responsible AI practices, machine learning, and much more. Following these introductory courses, learners can delve into further machine learning and data science subjects.”

Google’s move to offer free AI courses stemmed from a collaboration with the Economist Impact think-tank, which conducted a survey to gauge employee interest in acquiring new skills to enhance their job prospects.

Survey results revealed that 42 percent of Filipino employees expressed a desire to learn AI and machine-learning skills, surpassing the Asia-Pacific region’s average of 33 percent.

In addition to AI, the survey found that 68 percent of Filipino employees were keen to develop self-management skills, which encompass time management, stress tolerance, and quick learning abilities in the workplace.

Beyond self-management, Filipino workers exhibited a strong interest in acquiring digital skills, such as IT support and cybersecurity. Responding to this demand, Google is introducing three new courses as part of its Google Career Certificates program: business intelligence, advanced data analytics, and cybersecurity.

These new offerings complement the existing lineup of six courses: data analytics, IT automation, IT support, project management, UI/UX design, and e-commerce.

Google also announced the availability of an additional 1,000 certificate scholarships for the year, building on the 39,000 career certificate scholarships provided in 2022.

Yves Gonzalez revealed that these scholarships are often awarded in collaboration with government agencies, such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). Additionally, the courses can also be accessed on the Coursera learning platform for a nominal fee.

Google reports that its certificate courses have already seen over 6,000 graduates in the Philippines, with approximately 80 percent of them reporting a significant career boost following completion of the programs.