Earlier this week, we announced a new partnership between the University of Michigan and Google to get free access to AI training courses from Google Career Cultings and Google for more than 66,000 students on UM’s Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses. These high-demand, employment-ready programs are now available online through the university’s online and hybrid learning platforms. These courses and certificates help students develop demand skills in areas such as cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing, UX design, project management, and basic AI.
We are both proud graduates from the University of Michigan. Our undergraduate experiences at Ann Arbor are transformative and shape our minds, who we are and the lives we live. There are countless ways to take advantage of extraordinary locations like UM. But, with hindsight, a course stands out: Learning how to learn is probably the most valuable thing you can take away.
That’s true. But it is becoming increasingly important in a world where technological change is accelerating and the lifespan of “preparation” skills is shrinking.
The wrong choices we cannot make
Today’s learners are quarreling and debating: Is the degree still worth it? Should they invest in college or do they search for a range of salesable skills through short-term training?
Usually, this is structured as or selected. But our new partnership emphasizes the power of both.
A college degree is a strong foundation. When paired with flexible, high-impact programs like Google Career Certificates, AI Essentials, and enable essentials, students can thrive in a dynamic global workforce. This is not about diluting the value of higher education. It is meant to enhance it – by providing students with durable intellectual tools for college education and Technical fluency in achieving success in the real world.
The bet is high. Nearly 70% of college graduates report needing more training on emerging technologies, while most employers expect job seekers to have the basics of generating AI. If New York Times Aneesh Raman, Chief Economic Opportunity Officer at LinkedIn, the rise of AI and automation is reshaping the skills required for many jobs, which makes educational institutions have to adapt to their curriculum accordingly. This emphasizes the importance of integrating practical, technology-centric training into traditional degree programs to ensure graduates are prepared for the modern workforce. The world of work is changing rapidly. Higher education can and must develop with it.
Rethinking what it means to prepare students for the future
This partnership is part of a bigger effort at the University of Michigan to reimagine what it means to support lifelong learning and life-changing education. Through Michigan Online, UM students already have access to more than 280 open online courses and series created by faculty in collaboration with the Center for Academic Innovation, as well as thousands of other products from universities around the world. These new certificates and AI courses deepen this commitment, creating new opportunities for each student, regardless of background or campus.
Through Google’s flexible online program, we see high-quality, employer-verified training that can make meaningful differences. More than one million learners worldwide have completed their Google Career Certificate, and more than 70% of learners have reported six months of positive career outcomes such as new jobs, pay raises or promotions. Google’s employer consortium includes over 150 companies including AT&T, Deloitte, Ford, Lowe, Rocket Companies, Siemens, Siesemens, Southwest, T-Mobile, Verizon, Verizon, Wells Fargo and Google itself. Google has partners with more than 800 educational institutions in all 50 states, including universities, community colleges, and high schools, to help people start promising careers in the Google Career Certificate space. This new partnership extends these opportunities to UM students to further support career readiness.
By providing accessible, skills-based programs like Google Career Certificate, we aim to provide additional scaffolding for students’ success and career preparation, thereby alleviating some of the pressures associated with traditional academic routes and recognizing various forms of achievement.
Invite senior and senior ecosystem leaders
We believe that this partnership is a model to create scalable, inclusive and future solutions, how to jointly create scalable solutions.
But this is just one step.
As we reflect on this moment, we invite higher education, industry and government leaders to inquire,
- How your institution can better integrate career-related skills into student journey No Sacrifice the broader mission of liberal arts education?
- What partnerships or platforms may benefit your students from market-worthy degrees and certificates?
- In the age of AI-defined, how will your institution ensure that students will not only be aware of new tools, but also thoughtful, responsible and competent innovators?
- How can your institution or organization expand equitable access to high-value learning opportunities that lead to social and economic mobility?
- What role should public-private partnerships play in shaping the future of education, work and innovation, and how do we design them for long-term impact?
The way forward is not a binary choice. It is a commitment to excellence and access, both tradition and transformation.
We are honored to take this step together. We look forward to learning the next step with our students and peers. In a rapidly shifting higher education environment, we see the reason for optimism: reimagining student success, building lasting strategic partnerships and strengthening the bridge between higher education and the future of work.
