Google Partners With Indonesian Academy To Boost Tech Talent
- By CDOTrends editors
- August 16, 2022
Google recently partnered with Bangkit, an academy that provides training and resources to develop the technical talent of Indonesian technology companies and startups. Bangkit has facilitated a multi-stakeholder collaboration between Google, government, industry, and universities across Indonesia.
Over 3,000 students have graduated from Bangkit, which provides nearly 15,000 courses and specializations. Last year, the President of Indonesia and the Ministry of Education and Culture, Research, and Technology recognized Bangkit’s impact on the country's digital transformation.
Meanwhile, Google is known for partnering with industry, governments, universities, and employers to help meet the skill demands. This includes the State of Ohio and the University of Minnesota-Rochester.
High demand for more digital skills
The digital transformation of Indonesia's economy is leading the way in Southeast Asia. The Google’s e-Conomy report forecasted the country’s 2030 gross merchandise value (GMV) forecasted to be twice that of Southeast Asia today.
However, this growth means the demand for more qualified IT graduates and employees with digital skills will be immense. According to the World Bank, Indonesia will need nine million people with digital skills by 2030. The lack of technical talent emphasizes the need for investment in a reliable skills pipeline which Google and Bangkit’s partnership aims to address.
Building on last year’s success, Bangkit launched its new program in February 2022, offering three different learning paths to students:
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Cloud computing with Google Cloud, preparing students for the Google Associate Cloud Engineer certification
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Mobile development with Android, preparing students for the Google Associate Android Developer exam
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Machine learning with Tensorflow, getting students ready to take the Tensorflow Developer certification
The Bangkit 2022 program has enrolled 3,100 university students for a five-month training course that will grant them university study credit and industry certifications. The program runs from February to July 2022 and encompasses 900 hours of academic curriculum over 18 weeks.
In the final stage of Bangkit 2022, students will collaborate on team-based projects to address some of the nation's most pressing problems, such as environmentalism and accessibility. At least 15 teams will be chosen to receive funding for their capstone projects. These education and career-preparedness offerings are provided at no cost.
The program accepts applicants from diverse backgrounds and encourages women, people with disabilities, and students across Indonesia to apply.
Image credit: iStockphoto/hanieriani