Google and Ivanka Trump unveil a tech job training program
It comes as Google is trying to fend off antitrust investigations.
Google is determined to prove that it's a force for job creation, and it's cozying up to some unexpected allies to make that happen. Chief exec Sundar Pichai and Ivanka Trump held a roundtable event where Google announced that it will sign the Pledge to America's Workers, a White House effort to expand work education, and launch an initiative that will create 250,000 training opportunities over five years. Google had technically signed the pledge through its membership in the Internet Association, but this is its first direct commitment.
Separately, Google added that it was bringing its IT Support Certificate program to 100 community colleges, and making it easier for colleges to grant credits to certificate owners. The move, which comes as part of the Grow with Google strategy, is meant to help people either land entry IT support jobs or advance their careers and education.
The timing of the job training program, and Trump's involvement in the announcement, is notable when Google is facing antitrust inquiries from state attorneys general, Congress and the Justice Department. It's not necessarily trying to use the promise of job creation to fend off those investigations -- they're tackling competitive issues that additional jobs won't address. However, it certainly won't hurt the company's case if it can show that it's contributing to the economy with the White House's blessing.
