Arkansans head to Google workshops
Free sessions aim to help businesses, job seekers improve digital skills
Hey, Google. Where can I get help with digital skills for myself or my business?
Arkansans from small businesses, libraries, nonprofit organizations and job seekers found an answer Wednesday in North Little Rock during a series of free, hands-on workshops and oneon-one training with Google staff members who are part of the tech company’s economic opportunity initiative.
Wednesday’s sessions were at the main branch of North Little Rock’s William F. Laman Public Library. The Grow with Google program will move to Jonesboro on Friday for sessions at 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library.
The four one-hour workshops focused on digital resources for nonprofits, optimizing Google’s search engine to better reach customers online, updating a business’s online profile or creating a website, and learning everyday digital tasks. One-on-one training was also available throughout the day.
“I wanted to try to get some information on what resources are available so I can be a better partner in the community,” said Patrick Guest of Little Rock, an information technology user support representative at Baptist Health-Little Rock. “Any information I can gather that I can use.”
Guest was one of about 45 attendees at a morning workshop geared toward nonprofit professionals, which included representatives from public libraries, health-care groups, chambers of commerce and workforce development organizations. Among attendees were people from Washington, Pope and White counties, as well as many from Pulaski County.
Guest said he would also share what he learned with his wife, Evangeline Parker, executive director of the nonprofit Miss Teen Promise, who wasn’t available to participate Wednesday.
“Anything I can pass on to her to use I will, and we’ll go from there,” he said.
The Grow with Google initiative is a nationwide program begun in late 2017 that so far this year has made stops in 16 states, said Grow with Google tour leader Chris Mussett. The initiative plans to have reached 30 states by the end of the year and all 50 by mid-2020, he said.
North Little Rock and Jonesboro’s libraries were chosen as host sites for the Google sessions through Google’s partnership with the American Library Association, Mussett said.
In conjunction with this week’s initiative in Arkansas, applications have opened through Libraries Lead with Digital Skills for libraries throughout the state to apply for $1,000 micro-grants. The grants are funded as part of a $1 million investment by Google to help libraries provide digital skills to small businesses and job seekers through programming, education and community outreach.
About one-third of jobs in 2020 will require skills “not commonly taught in classrooms today,” said Grow with Google’s Paula Fogarty, who led the day’s first session.
“We know that libraries are really pillars of their communities and a lot of them are leading the effort for providing the digital skills workers need,” Mussett said. “The role of a library is changing. It’s really inspirational to see.
“We do visit cities of all sizes, in rural and metropolitan areas,” he said. “It’s important that our reach is statewide.”
Teenage patrons and adults alike utilize programs offered within the Pope County Library System, headquartered in Russellville, to learn basic computer skills among other tasks, such as the proper use of tools or preparing a meal, either online or through live demonstrations, said library director Shawn Pierce.
“I came to this so we can beef up our life-skills computer classes,” she said after the first workshop. Some patrons, she said, “don’t know how to use the mouse or how to set up an email account.”
Digital skills are also necessary for applying for many job positions today, a real challenge for those who may be unfamiliar with computers, Pierce said.
“That’s the biggie,” she said.
Anyone wanting to become a partner with Grow with Google can sign up at grow.google/partners to gain access to free resources to teach people the digital skills to help them improve their career or business.The website also provides workshop support and an online forum to connect with and exchange ideas with partners across the country.