Google has today announced a new training programme aimed at supporting SMEs in Ireland. You’re The Business Live Sessions, hosted in Google’s Dublin offices, will include five in-person training sessions suitable to SMEs at the early stages of their digital journey right through to those more digitally-sophisticated businesses who are ready to export globally.
The initiative is part of the You’re the Business programme, an initiative created by Google, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices last year to help upskill Irish SMEs. The You’re the Business programme aims to help accelerate Irish SME growth through digitalisation, which is in support of the Irish government’s ambitious goals around SME digitalisation and internationalisation.
Today’s announcement follows recent Google Search data which found that Irish people are increasingly seeking to gain new certifications, particularly in digital skills. The last year has seen increases in searches for certifications in UX Design (+80%), IT Support (+60%), Data Analytics (+60%) and Project Management (+50%). There has also been a 180% rise in searches for “artificial intelligence courses” over the last five years, with an increase of 150% for data science-related courses.
Cera Ward, Managing Director at Google Ireland said:
“Our partnership with Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices was devised following research last year that identified gaps in the digital capabilities of Ireland’s SMEs. It found that only 45% of Irish SMEs had a website while 50% said they lacked the basic knowledge about which digital skills to prioritise and invest in. Irish SMEs need support which is why we partnered with Enterprise Ireland to launch You’re The Business last year and we’re delighted to continue our partnership for the benefit of SMEs in Ireland in 2023.”
The first training session will take place on Friday 15 September with live and in-person modules occurring every two weeks in Google’s Dublin headquarters. The five online training modules will help Irish SMEs to:
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Get your business online
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Help your business grow online
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Ensure your business is secure online
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Get your business to go global
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Boost your productivity with AI
To sign up for these live training modules or for further information, please visit: rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/