Google is making its biggest workforce training push yet, launching an AI Professional Certificate program that bundles practical AI skills certification with three months of free access to Google AI Pro. The move, announced by Grow with Google founder Lisa Gevelber, aims to address the widening AI skills gap as companies scramble to train employees on generative AI tools. With employers increasingly demanding AI literacy across roles, Google's betting that certified training - not just access to tools - will become the new baseline for hiring.
Google just fired a shot across the bow of corporate training giants. The company's new AI Professional Certificate, unveiled through its Grow with Google initiative, packages AI skills certification with three months of complimentary access to Google AI Pro - the premium tier of its generative AI platform.
The timing isn't accidental. According to recent workforce studies, companies are struggling to find employees with practical AI skills, not just theoretical knowledge. Google's program zeroes in on what Lisa Gevelber, founder of Grow with Google, calls "the practical AI skills employers value most" - a clear departure from academic-focused AI education.
Here's what makes this launch notable: Google isn't just offering another online course. The bundled AI Pro access means learners get hands-on experience with the same premium tools they'll use in actual jobs. It's like learning to drive in the car you'll actually drive, not a simulator. That three-month window gives certificate candidates real-time practice building prompts, analyzing outputs, and understanding AI limitations - the messy, practical stuff that separates resume padding from genuine capability.
The program lands as enterprise AI adoption hits an inflection point. Microsoft has been pushing Copilot certifications through LinkedIn Learning, while rolled out AWS AI training programs last year. But Google's approach differs in a critical way: it's targeting the broader workforce, not just technical roles. The certificate curriculum focuses on AI application across functions - marketing, operations, customer service - recognizing that AI literacy is becoming as fundamental as Excel proficiency was a decade ago.
