Google Career Launchpad Program

Developed by Google DeepMind, this curriculum is designed for technical learners ready to dive into the core technologies driving modern AI. These courses were designed to deepen a learner's understanding of the AI technologies behind language models like Gemini, and teach them how to build and fine-tune their own small language models from the ground up. Learners will hone their AI research skills through coding exercises and practical lab activities, and will learn from responsible innovation and research techniques woven throughout each course. While the curriculum was shaped by educators and learners in Africa and is therefore localized to African contexts, it is useful for all learners globally.

Learners should have a familiarity with Python coding. Learners will gain the practical skills needed to develop and adapt small language models (SLMs). Knowledge gained will help prepare learners for a future in postgraduate study, research roles, and specialized jobs in the AI industry.

Duration: ~18 hours for courses 1-4.

Courses 5-7 coming soon!

This certificate program prepares learners for entry-level roles in cloud cybersecurity. While there are no required prerequisites, it’s helpful for learners to be familiar with foundational cybersecurity concepts, skills, and tools. Supplemental content on these concepts is included within the certificate for learners who do not have this prior knowledge.

There are five on-demand courses in which learners will complete hands-on labs that allow them to practice key skills and produce work examples to show potential employers. The first four courses progressively build learners’ working knowledge of networks, security models, and tools used to assess and address threats, risks, and vulnerabilities. The final course includes a capstone project that focuses on applying the knowledge and skills gained and prepares learners to establish a career in the cloud security field.

Duration: ~90 hours

This certificate program prepares aspiring cloud data analysts for entry-level roles in the field. While there are no required prerequisites, it’s helpful for learners to be familiar with foundational data analytics concepts, skills, and tools. Supplemental content on these concepts is included within the certificate for learners who do not have this prior knowledge.

There are five on-demand courses in which learners will complete hands-on labs that allow them to practice key skills and produce work examples to show potential employers. The first four courses progressively build learners’ working knowledge of how to structure, store, access, and visualize data using various cloud tools and integrations. The final course includes a capstone project that focuses on applying the knowledge and skills gained to complete a full cloud data life cycle project and prepares learners to establish a career in the cloud data analytics field.

This program is designed to help prepare students for the Associate Data Practitioner certification . Learners who complete the entire learning program and the Introduction to Data Engineering on Google Cloud (first course in the Associate Data Practitioner Learning Path) are eligible for a 50% discount on the certification exam (administered by a third party).

Duration: ~90 hours

This certificate program provides individuals with little to no background or experience in cloud computing a detailed overview of concepts covering cloud basics, big data, machine learning, and where and how Google Cloud fits in. The course starts with an overview of cloud computing and dives deeper into two areas—cloud computing infrastructure, and big data and machine learning. It enables learners to develop technical proficiency in cloud computing and launch or pivot to careers in a cloud-first world. 

While there are no required prerequisites, it’s helpful for learners to have basic IT knowledge and be interested in learning more about cloud and machine learning. This includes a basic understanding of shell scripting and SQL.

Duration: ~40 hours

Note: This certificate program includes access to full curriculum resources to enable in-classroom instruction. Resources include slides and teaching notes, educator guide and lesson plans, and multiple-choice knowledge assessments.

This certificate program helps learners build expertise in cloud infrastructure and prepare for roles such as cloud engineer, solution architect, and DevOps engineer. This certificate is exclusively available through the Career Launchpad program. Learners should be familiar with foundational cloud infrastructure concepts, skills, and tools, including a basic understanding of operating and file systems, the IP networking stack, how web browsers and servers communicate, databases, programming, and Linux (no degree required).

This program is designed to help prepare students for the Associate Cloud Engineer certification . Learners who complete the entire learning program are eligible for a 50% discount on the certification exam (administered by a third party).

Duration: ~80 hours

This course pathway utilizes engaging videos and interactive components to teach learners about the capabilities of generative AI and how they benefit organizations. Through a series of on-demand courses, learners will gain a broad overview of Gen AI and learn how to leverage Gen AI and Google Cloud to transform organizations. Learners will also gain practical experience by completing hands-on exercises using tools like Gemini Advanced, Notebook LM, and Google AI Studio.

This program is designed to help prepare students for the Generative AI Leader certification . Learners who complete the entire learning program are eligible for a 50% discount on the certification exam (administered by a third party).

Duration: ~ 8 hours

To further support your learning journey, you will also gain access to our Beginner: Introduction to Generative AI Learning Path. We suggest that you start with this introductory course before beginning the Generative AI Leader Learning Path. It will provide you with a foundational understanding of key concepts, including the basics of large language models and responsible AI principles.

Duration: ~ 8 hours

This course pathway helps learners build cloud literacy and learn to distinguish and evaluate the capabilities of Google Cloud and how it can be used to achieve business goals. 

This knowledge can be applied to any role where understanding the purpose and application of Google Cloud is needed.

This program is designed to help prepare students for the Cloud Digital Leader certification . Learners who complete the entire learning program are eligible for a 50% discount on the certification exam (administered by a third party).

Duration: ~9 hours