Google IT Support Professional Certificate—Mexico
Developed by IYF, the Google IT Support Professional Certificate program offered Google's highly valuable Certification along with a socio-emotional skills curriculum (PTS) and work readiness skills development. The program was designed to reach high school graduates who lacked opportunities to enroll in higher education and/or acquire job opportunities across the Mexican Republic. This initiative provided them access to well-rounded IT training that equipped them with the critical skills to get an entry-level job in IT support.
Latin America is the region of the world that faces the largest gap in IT skills—around 40% of employers in Mexico report difficulties hiring people in this area. In Mexico, through an alliance that started in 2019 between IYF and Grow with Google, Google seeks to address this by training the IT professionals of tomorrow. These professionals—many of them young women and men—will help further strengthen the industry in a country where the demand for IT jobs has increased 34% since 2019.
The program was implemented outside the formal school system. IYF worked with a variety of partners that gave beneficiaries access to wraparound support that significantly reduced barriers to program completion.
Additionally, an experienced tutor guided beneficiaries through the 10-week online program, leading activities for them to better understand the technical content while inspiring them to make the most out of the program. Wraparound services such as labor market workshops, mock interviews, and IT hearings were essential for participants to gain experience and acquire job opportunities.
During three years of implementation, the Google IT Certificate program operated in 25 states in Mexico under IYF ́s supervision and enrolled a total of 1,212 participants, from which 42% identify as female.
Moreover, 88% (1,072) of youth completed the program, obtaining an average academic performance of 95/100.
Furthermore, 74% of certificate graduates are employed, highlighting a monthly average salary of $366.50 USD; 31% of them are employed in the IT industry and 96% reported that the program helped them figure out their professional path.
“Starting this course marked a before and after in many aspects of my personal and professional life. It has been a great privilege to be able to participate in it, as I developed and improved many skills throughout these months. The Certificate really helped me get my first job as an Oracle Developer Jr.”
Belinda, cohort #12 student