Technology & IT | Thursday 20 December, 2018 5:00 am |

Google announced today that ‘Maharat min Google’, its online program that teaches digital skills available in Arabic, is expanding in MENA with new collaborations. The International Computer Driving License (ICDL Arabia) in collaboration with Google is launching a joint  marketing certification program designed to help youth in Egypt find jobs, grow their careers or start their own businesses. The program offers a comprehensive digital skills curriculum in Arabic combining ‘Maharat min Google’, alongside ICDL’s existing digital marketing certification program. ICDL Arabia will conduct in-person trainings to more than 10,000 students across universities and vocational institutes in Egypt.

 

Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, is granting 350,000 USD to Education for Employment Foundation (EFE), in order to improve job readiness capacity for 1,500 unemployed youth in Egypt and connect participants with formal employment opportunities. In collaboration with different universities across the country, EFE will offer digital skills in-person trainings in addition to career coaching sessions. Google.org is also granting 300,000 USD to Emirates Foundation, a  national organization by Abu Dhabi Government to facilitate initiatives for youth empowerment in the UAE, which will roll out digital skills trainings and career pathway programs to 5,000 unemployed youth in rural areas and underserved communities, helping them to prepare for and secure jobs. 

 

Trainings with Emirates Foundation, Education for Employment and ICDL Arabia will target a minimum of 50 percent female participation. Google is looking for further local partnerships across the region with governments, universities, private-sector businesses and nonprofits to expand the reach of its ‘Maharat min Google’ program. 

 

Udacity, an online learning platform, in collaboration with Google launched the ‘Digital Freelancer Nanodegree’, designed to help students learn the skills and tools needed to launch successful freelance careers. The program can be accessed online (official website), and includes ‘Maharat min Google’ case studies and other accredited learning materials. 

 

Tarek Abdalla, Regional Head of Marketing, Middle East & North Africa at Google said, “Earlier this year, we set out to do our part to fill this gap through ‘Maharat Min Google’, the all-Arabic online platform that is a free one stop shop on everything from building a website to marketing your business around the world. We’ve been working with partners to help all Arabic speakers, whether they are students, employed individuals or job seekers to grow their skills, careers, and businesses through our digital skills program. We are proud that over 100,000 individuals have taken the course so far, and we are excited to expand the program in the region in 2019, and see the  great things people can achieve  when given the right tools and skills.” 

 

‘Maharat min Google’ — g.co/Maharat— has 100 lessons across 26 core topics in digital marketing that include search engine marketing, social media, video, e-Commerce, and data analytics, among others. Since launch in April, more than 100,000 Arabic speakers took the online course, 50 percent female participation, and have spent more than560,0000hours on the portal. The highest number of participations came from 1) Egypt 2) Saudi Arabia 3) Morocco 4) Iraq and 5) Algeria. 

 

As a result of the ‘Maharat min Google’ trainings conducted to date, and based on large scale independent research with Ipsos[1],15% of job seekers claim to have found a job and 20% of knowledge seekersclaim to have grown in their career because of the program.