Unlock AI’s Potential: New Courses for small businesses & Canadians
Google believes everyone has the potential to reach new heights with the help of AI. We also realize that it can be difficult to know where to start. It’s no surprise then that Canadians are showing a growing appetite for AI training and support. According to our most recent Economic Impact Report, 63% of workers are interested in AI skills, rising to 72% for young Canadians. And, only a quarter of Canadian small and medium businesses (27%) are making use of AI, but almost half (42%) said they would need support to bring AI into their operations.
To help close the AI skills gap in Canada, Google is announcing the launch of two new courses on Grow with Google Prompting Essentials and AI for SMBs. The new Grow with Google courses are designed to equip small businesses and individuals with practical, actionable AI skills to simplify their work, save time, and put AI to work for them.
Google Prompting Essentials will equip people with the prompting skills and techniques they need to harness the power of AI to accomplish everyday tasks, enhance their creativity, save time and get more done. Based on proven techniques developed by Google AI experts, this course distills effective prompting into five actionable strategies, helping you make AI work for you. It builds on the foundational concepts from Google AI Essentials — the most popular generative AI course on Coursera of all time, globally. To help reduce the barrier to entry for AI adoption, we’re working with non-profit organizations including ComIT, Halifax Partnership, Digital Nova Scotia, Digital Main Street, BC Tech and Canadian Council for Indigenous Businesses to grant scholarships to individuals in their network.
Small businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy, driving innovation, creating jobs, and strengthening communities. AI is a powerful technology that can help simplify business tasks and create new opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs – but knowing how to use it may seem out of reach. Developed with input from experts at Google, AI for SMBs will explain the basics of AI and how AI-powered tools by Google can help small businesses be more efficient, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth.
These latest AI skilling initiatives are a part of our broader skilling program with Grow with Google and Google Career Certificates, and part of our commitment to using our AI expertise to help people, businesses and communities. Over 35,500 people in Canada have graduated from the Google Career Certificate program to date, with 75% of certificate graduates reporting a positive career outcome, like a new job, promotion or raise, within six months of completion.
With more Canadians leveraging AI every day, closing the AI skills gap is an investment in Canada’s workforce, ensuring we’re prepared to adapt and thrive in an AI-driven world. To learn more or enroll, visit grow.google/prompting or to see more of our AI training courses go to grow.google/intl/en_ca/ai/.
