Empowering Canadians with Job-Ready AI Skills
When I speak with Canadian business leaders, workers, and community partners, the conversation has fundamentally shifted. People are no longer just asking "what is AI?"—they are asking "how can I use AI to grow?" At Google, we believe that to truly unlock Canada's economic potential, we must empower every Canadian to meet this moment with confidence.
Helping Canadians build the essential AI skills to grow their businesses and careers is foundational to who we are. Last year, as part of our efforts to bring AI skills to more than 2 million Canadians, we launched our $13M AI Opportunity Fund, and we introduced the Google AI Essentials course to help Canadians grasp the foundational concepts of this technology.
But as generative AI rapidly evolves, so must our efforts to support the workforce: 70% of employers say they would prioritize hiring a candidate with AI skills. 1
That’s why today, we’re building on our AI skilling offerings for Canadians by launching the Google AI Professional Certificate, a new course from Grow with Google. While Google AI Essentials helps beginners get started with the basics, our AI Professional Certificate is designed to help learners master the skills to use AI as a collaborative partner in their daily work —equipping people with the applied, in-demand skills that employers are looking for today.
Through over 20 hands-on activities, learners will discover how AI can become their ultimate professional partner—assisting with everything from deep research and data analysis to content creation. The entire certificate can be completed in under 10 hours, and learners will walk away with a job-ready portfolio of AI projects they can use to stand out to employers and immediately apply to their work.
A core pillar of our skilling efforts is ensuring equitable access. To help ensure the opportunities created by AI are accessible to everyone, we are partnering with non-profit organizations including Canada Learning Code, ComIT, Digital Main Street, First Work, and the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business to grant scholarships to individuals in their network from underrepresented communities. To help bridge the AI skills gap, employers including Walmart and Deloitte Canada are offering this certificate to upskill their employees on AI.
We also know the best way to learn AI is by doing. In a first-of-its-kind offer, we’re providing every learner who enrolls in the course three months of no-cost access to Google AI Pro, which unlocks our most capable AI tools. 2
We’re already seeing the impact this training can have on the careers of Canadians.
At Google, we are committed to helping Canada build its AI future. Over 64,500 people in Canada have already graduated from our Google Career Certificate program —which now includes AI training in every certificate— and over 75% of certificate graduates report a positive career outcome. By helping Canadians move from AI basics to becoming AI-fluent, this new certificate is our latest step in empowering Canadians with the skills they need to grow their careers and businesses in the AI era.
Learn more and enroll at g.co/grow/canada-ai.
