Celebrating Two Years, The RISE And Google Partnership Continues To Advance Upskilling Opportunities For Women Of Color

RISE, the not-for-profit, equity-focused upskilling arm of The Mom Project, has announced that upon reaching its two-year anniversary of its partnership with Google, more than 5200 scholarships have been awarded as part of the Google x RISE program.

In an effort to uplevel its offerings and expand its reach, RISE partnered with Google to connect underrepresented job seekers with no-cost access to Google Career Certificate program. The program equips job seekers with skills for in-demand jobs in the fields of data analytics, digital marketing and e-commerce, IT support, user experience (UX) design, and project management. The certificates do not require a degree or experience to enroll, and can be completed within 3-6 months of part-time study. An employer consortium of over 150 companies–including Google—considers graduates for open roles, according to a press release.

RISE was founded in 2020 as a direct response to such long-standing workplace biases and imbalances in representation for women, and the increased gendered work crisis emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. Offering several certificate programs, the curriculum—which includes mentorship, tech-enabled community, and networking opportunities in addition to upskilling—empowers moms and women of color to access greater career opportunities in emergent industries.

“Teaming up with Google to connect mothers of color with highly sought after training and certifications to build economic opportunities has been incredibly beneficial to the RISE and The Mom Project mission,” says Chandra Sanders, Vice President of RISE.

“Through this partnership, our graduates have pivoted industries, careers, and re-entered the workforce after long absences and we’ve seen first-hand that upskilling is an invaluable tool for the women who may not have access to these programs.

Together, we have made a real impact with almost 60% of our participants either landing a new job or securing higher compensation less than six months after graduation. We are very proud of the momentum we are seeing, but we have a long way to go in the fight for true equity. Coupling our motivated network of moms with Google’s job-ready skills programs and elite employer network, we look to scale the RISE program in precisely the right way.”

“Google believes the opportunities created by technology should truly be available to everyone,” said Janice Fidalgo, Scholarship Program Lead, Grow with Google.

“We’re proud to support the RISE program to help moms across the country take the Google Career Certificates program.”

“We’re excited that this work is helping women further their careers, increase their economic potential, and improve the quality of life for their families.”

For more information visit MomProject.org.