The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment has joined with Google to connect 500 local job seekers with free access to Google Career Certificates training.

The certificates equip people with skills in data analytics, digital marketing, information technology support and project management. 

The online program can be completed in three to six months of part-time study. After finishing the program, graduates have access to an employer consortium of more than 150 companies that considers them for job openings.

More information about the program is available from workforce centers, including the Mesa County Workforce Center in Grand Junction. 

Designed and taught by Google employees, each certificate includes more than 150 practice and graded assessments, quizzes or writing assignments. The program also provides resources to help students land a job, such as resume templates, coaching and interview practice. 

The program offers stackable credentials recommended by the American Council on Education. 

Students working towards a degree can earn a recommendation of up to 12 college credits for completing a certificate — the equivalent of four college courses at the bachelor’s degree level —at schools including Northeastern, Purdue Global, University of Virginia’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and many others. 

Launched in 2018, more than 70,000 people have graduated from the program in the United States. 

Priority will be given to those who demonstrate need. Scholarships are available and recipients will need access to a computer, hand-held device or smartphone and the Internet. Those who don’t have access to one or more of these tools can get help from a workforce center. Scholarship recipients must complete the certificate within six months.