Growing businesses and giving new skill sets in a digital society
7 May 2018

Today’s world is undergoing a digital transformation which offers enormous opportunities for growth, innovation and jobs. The skills people need to land great jobs or grow successful businesses are changing. In the next ten to 15 years, automation will change work environments, 21 million new jobs will be created and 90% of all jobs will require at least some level of digital skills.

However, according to the European Commission’s data, 44% of the EU population and 37% of the labour workforce has insufficient levels of digital skills.

To open up the opportunity of digital technology for everyone, in 2015, Grow with Google committed to training one million Europeans in digital skills to help equip Europe’s business and individuals for the future work landscape. By now, the company has trained over three million people across 32 countries in Europe, helping them grow their businesses and careers through training offered by Google and its partners.

Digital trainings are being translated into actual economic growth in Europe. Google’s digital skills trainings have resulted in 199,000 people who found a job or started a business – like Idiko in Hungary, a mother of two who learnt how to code and now manages her own business from home.

More than half a million European businesses have grown their business through new customers or revenue, like Ntina from Greece, who during the recession opened up a hotel business that now welcomes people from all over the world.

Plus, 32,000 small and medium-sized businesses have taken on more staff, such as Mark & Anders from Denmark, who has grown from two to 30 people in the last year.

Combining all of those, by now Google has helped 725,000 Europeans who have found a job or grown their business and by 2020 will support one million more.

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Social responsibility
Story contributor
Google
https://grow.google/intl/europe
@Google
Key numbers
million
Europeans trained with Grow with Google digital skills programmes
Europeans have found a job or grown their business