Google, in April 2021, introduced the Grow with Google Career Readiness for Reentry initiative to help ex-convicts reenter society and get back to work after serving their time. The company is now committing to investing close to $8 million to help fund initiatives that assist “justice-impacted” people, such as recently jailed individuals, in entering the workforce.
Of the $8 million funds, $4 million will go to “Grow with Google”, which helps people touched by the justice system acquire career skills. The company will provide up to $100,000 to nonprofits that haven’t previously worked with the company to offer reentry skills training.
Google.org, a subsidiary of Google responsible for charitable donations, will give $4.25 million to help state governments reduce employment barriers through Code for America’s Clear My Record program, which employs an open-source algorithm to examine records and create clearance motions. The National Urban League’s Urban Tech Jobs Program and Columbia University’s Justice through Code will also be funded by money from Google.org.
Former inmates lack computer skills, among other problems. Inmates can endure years without smartphones or internet access. A Brief from the U.S. Department of Education claims that in 2014, “62% of correctional educational programs in the U.S. didn’t allow prisoners internet access.”
Some former inmates don’t know how to search for jobs or make a résumé online. According to a University of Kansas study, many women leaving prison struggle with online privacy. Lack of literacy also prevents ex-offenders from using government services that need online applications.
Google believes “Career Readiness for Reentry” will have a huge impact with a curriculum that’s designed to be integrated into the programming of nonprofit partners. The company’s mission is to support 100,000 formerly imprisoned people by 2025. To do so, Google says it is expanding digital literacy programs in federal and state prisons.
Google says, “Organisations can apply for funding, and together we will train 100,000 justice-impacted, pending release, and formerly incarcerated individuals with skills that will help them find a job or start a business.”
Through curated lessons focused on foundational digital skills, Grow with Google and its five founding partners–The Ladies of Hope Ministries, Center for Employment Opportunities, Defy Ventures, Fortune Society, and The Last Mile–trained 10,000 people. More than 80 percent of participants reported improvement in their digital skills and career readiness.
Selected partners will provide free training from the Grow with Google Career Skills for the Justice-Impacted program on various digital skills — such as how to search and apply for jobs online, how to build a resume using web-based tools, budgeting, time management, and project planning. Feel free to explore the curriculum to learn more.
