Google digital unlocked was the brainchild of CEO Sundar Pichai to help small and medium businesses for their digital transformation. It was launched in 2017 with the collaboration of the IT Ministry of India and FICCI. It came to light when Google unveiled a joint research study with KPMG titled “Impact of Internet and Digitization on SMBs in India”. The study said that 68% of the SMBs were offline. The initiative was a huge success. In just a year, millions of candidates got Google certified. The programme was offered in three formats: online, offline, and mobile. Additionally, the training material was made available offline and in English and major Indian languages.
What's Next
Google Career Certificates are designed to prepare you for an entry-level role in job fields like data analytics, digital marketing and e-commerce, IT support, project management, and UX design. The platform was conceptualised to provide free tutorials to candidates seeking digital transformation.
Google cannot wash their hands after giving wings to dreams for thousands of candidates. As Google is pitching for the digital revolution, there is no way Google can completely back off from its course. So Google took the hard way out. We went on searching for a digital marketing course, and Google popped out this window for us.
What to do There is only one way out. Just adapt. Join Coursera and start learning. But it comes at a cost. Collaborating with Coursera has many long-term advantages for professionals seeking digital marketing, data analytics, cyber security, and more.
Check out all the Google Career Certificates here.
How dare you google
Nobody expected this to happen. Google surprised, and students shocked. In this competitive world, there are many free certification courses available on YouTube. But holding a Google certificate was an honour. Let us discuss who the losers and gainers are in this transformation.
Insider information from Google reveals that the company is making arrangements to recession-proof its business. As major economies like Germany have already entered recession, Google wishes to be more attentive to their core business. The best way out of this is to outsource their education programmes to experienced online education platforms. By doing so, Google can streamline its business while balancing the interests of everyone.
Coursera will definitely be making a fortune and will leap forward compared to their competitors like Udemy. There is no doubt that the decision is Coursera’s checkmate for their competitors. The platform has its business centred around America and Europe, but is now eyeing Asia expansion. Hopefully, they will achieve that in a year.
How you will be impacted
No need to worry. You are all safe. Existing unlocked certificates are still valid. But to get all the other certificates, you have to enrol again on Coursera. This is a huge opportunity. Yes, Money is involved. But it comes with a promise.
Reliable
- Coursera is a renowned American alternative to Udemy and UpGrad. The certificates offered by them are valued by most companies across the globe. The platform is dedicated to demonstrating your proficiency through portfolio-ready projects. Additionally, Google’s oversight of this platform makes it trustworthy.
Open platform
- The Coursera platform is open to all candidates. Candidates seeking a career in digital marketing can kickstart their career in under 6 months. No experience certificate or degree completion certificate is required while enrolling in this program.
Flexible
- You can choose from a range of options as per your convenience. It is listed below.
- 1 month program: The programme will cost Rs. 1153. But you will have to spend at least 20 hours/ week to complete the course in the stipulated time.
- 3 months program: The most prefered among all three programs. You could learn digital marketing by spending 16 hours/ week. This will cost you just Rs. 769/month.
- 6 months program: Busy? You can still be a digital marketing professional by spending 8 hours/ week. Choose the programme if you are working a tight schedule. It will cost you Rs. 577/month.
Accessible
- The programme is easily accessible online. So there’s no need to show up at a classroom in person. You can access videos, readings, hands-on activities, and assessments anytime and anywhere via the internet, on a computer, or on a mobile device.
Affordable
- Yeah, the programme is no longer free. But there is no platform that offers seven industry-level certificates in seven separate domains at this price. Candidates can learn how to use tools and platforms like Canva, Constant Contact, Google Ads, Google Analytics, Hootsuite, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Shopify, and Twitter. We feel the programme is good to go.
Interactive
- This programme includes over 190 hours of instruction and practise-based assessments that simulate real-world digital marketing and e-commerce scenarios that are critical for success in the workplace. The content is highly interactive and developed by Google employees with experience in the field.
Effective
- Earn an employer-recognised certificate from Google. Graduates get the chance to connect directly with over 150 U.S. employers who are accepting Google Career Certificates for open jobs. You will gain in-demand skills that prepare you for an entry-level job.
Post Training Support
- In the US alone, 75% of certificate graduates report a positive career outcome (new job, promotion, or raise) within six months of completion. You could be the next. In addition to expert-led training and hands-on projects designed to prepare you for a job, you’ll get access to an interview practise tool, mock interviews, resume building workshops, career coaching sessions, and more.
What Makes us concerned
The developments that happened in the last month regarding the digital unlock were a blessing in disguise for training institutes. It comes in handy for institutes, as they now need to impart only practicals and internships. Earlier, a whole set of theories had to be covered before entering into practical sessions. Institutes are therefore supposed to give only mentorship and doubt clearance sessions while training for digital marketing.
But the sad part is that the certificates are currently available globally in English. Moreover, we suspect that the low fees are only for a limited period of time. At least in the near future, Coursera might increase the fees, which can make digital education inaccessible for many.
Key Takeaways
Digital Unlocked was a creative idea from Google. There was nothing to match the Google Digital Unlocked certifications. Having a Google certificate was a daydream for many, which was made real by the platform. It is painful to know that the platform is no more and one has to go by the Coursera route to complete various digital courses. But there is no time to worry. Bragging about the past will cost us more than we lose. We have to follow the path laid out by the Google Coursera duo to make the digital world a better one.
Whatever the course is, grab all the benefits of it. One single piece of advice from our side Never be career-myopic and think only about long-term career progress. So better choose a 3-month course from Cousera. It will give you an adequate time frame to help you learn the core aspects of digital marketing without compromising its quality.
We firmly believe that we have covered all aspects of the changes in the digital marketing certification programme. Now there is no need to worry. The best is yet to come. Stay focussed. Whether it is Coursera or Google, you can still be a great digital creator. All you need is curiosity about reaching and engaging with customers online. So learn it from the top courses. Join the top digital marketing course in Trivandrum.