Google to provide $20M in career support for military families, veterans

Company aiming to open doors to tech jobs with career program

FIRST ON FOX: Google is set to provide $20 million in grant funding and donations to support economic empowerment for veterans and the military community, providing thousands of veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses with career support needed for tech jobs over the next five years. 

Google’s investment includes a $10 million cash grant to "Hiring Our Heroes," to help them to launch a "Career Forward" program, to provide job search support, like interview prep, and career workshops, to help individuals to "succeed."

"Everyone should have the opportunity to reach their full economic potential — especially military service members and their families who sacrifice so much for our country," Google.org President Jacquelline Fuller told FOX Business. "Each year, 200,000 people transition to civilian life. Eight in 10 of them leave active duty without job prospects and often struggle to translate their skillset to a civilian job." 

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Fuller, who grew up in a military family, said she has "seen firsthand how access to jobs can change lives and livelihoods," adding that she is "incredibly excited" to work with Hiring Our Heroes to "advance our shared goal of creating more economic opportunity in the military community." 

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"Google.org is proud to support Hiring Our Heroes to train veterans for in-demand jobs through their new Career Forward program," Fuller said. "Our hope is that increased access to portable career credentials along with the right wraparound support will help veterans, military service members, and their families reach their full economic potential." 

The brand logo of Alphabet Inc.'s Google outside its office in Beijing, China, Aug. 8, 2018. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo/File Photo / Reuters Photos)

Google’s efforts in the "Career Forward" program aim to "bridge veteran employment gaps through the Google Career Certificates online programs that equip learners with job-ready skills for in-demand fields within 3 to 6 months." 

Google said that Hiring Our Heroes will also help place certificate graduates in 12-week, on-the-job fellowships at one of more than 400 employers in its network. The organization is also set to provide job placement support, including financial stipends, resume assistance and interview training for their full-time job search. 

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Google also said that participants in the Career Forward program can submit their resume to the Google Career Certificates "employer consortium" of more than 150 companies — including Booz Allen Hamilton, Verizon, Freedom Learning Group and Google — that considers program graduates for related roles. 

"Booz Allen is thrilled to join this employer consortium to help upskilled veterans and spouses achieve roles in future-forward careers because we understand that military talent has both the mission knowledge and tech expertise to solve our toughest challenges as a country," said  Laura Schmiegel, head of Military and Veteran Affairs at Booz Allen Hamilton.

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Google is providing an additional $10 million in donated ads to military-serving employment organizations — including Code Platoon, Black Veterans Project and Minority Veterans of America — to help them better promote their resources on Google Search. 

Google said that over the next year, Google employees in its veteran employee resource group will volunteer and provide career resources to veterans, including mock interviews and Q&A panels.