Google Cloud is on a mission to help everyone build the skills they need for in-demand cloud jobs. Today, we're excited to announce  new learning opportunities  that will help you gain these in-demand skills through new courses and certificates in AI, data analytics, and cybersecurity. Even better, we’re hearing from Google Cloud customers that they are eager to consider certificate completers for roles they’re actively hiring for, so don’t delay and start your learning today. Google Cloud offers new generative AI courses Introduction to Generative AI Demand for AI skills is exploding in the market. There has been a staggering 21x increase in job postings that include AI technologies in 2023.1 To help prepare you for these roles, we’re announcing new generative AI courses on YouTube and Google Cloud Skills Boost, from introductory level to advanced. Once you complete the hands-on training, you can show off your new skill badges to employers. Introductory (no cost!): This training will get you started with the basics of generative AI and responsible AI.   Intermediate: For Application Developers, and you will learn how to use Gemini for Google Cloud to work faster across networking, security, and infrastructure. Advanced: For AI/ ML Engineers, and you will learn how to integrate multimodal prompts in Gemini into your workflow.  New AI-powered, employer-recognized Google Cloud Certificates Gen AI has triggered massive demand for skilling, especially in the areas of cybersecurity and data analytics,2 where there are significant employment opportunities. In the U.S. alone: There are over 505,000 open entry-level roles3 related to a Cloud Cybersecurity Analyst, with a median annual salary of $135,000.4 There are more than 725,000 open entry-level roles5 related to a Cloud Data Analyst, with a median annual salary of $85,700.6 Building on the success of the Grow with Google Career Certificates, our new Google Cloud Certificates in Data Analytics and Cybersecurity can help prepare you for these high-growth, entry-level cloud jobs. A gen AI-powered learning journey  What better way to understand just how much AI can do for you than integrating it into your learning journey? You’ll get no-cost access to generative AI tools throughout your learning experience. For example, you can put your skills to use and rock your interviews with Interview Warmup, Google’s gen AI-powered interview prep tool. Talent acquisition, reimagined  And while we're at it, we'll help connect you to jobs. Our new Google Cloud Affiliate Employer program unlocks access for certificate completers to apply for jobs with some top cloud employers, like the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Rackspace, and Jack Henry. We’re also taking it one step further. Together, with the employers in the affiliate program, we're helping reimagine talent acquisition through a new skills-based hiring effort. This new initiative uses Google Cloud technology to help move certificate completers through the hiring process. Here’s how it works: Certificate completers in select hiring locations will have the chance to take custom labs that represent on-the-job scenarios, specific to each employer partner. These labs will be considered the first stage in their hiring process. By matching candidates with the right skills to the right jobs, this initiative marks a major step forward in creating more access to job opportunities for cloud employers. The U.S. Department of the Treasury will start using these new Google Cloud Certificates and labs for cyber and data analytics talent identification across the federal agency, per President Biden's Executive Order on AI. “In an age of rapid innovation and adoption of new technology offering the promise of improved productivity, it is imperative that we equip every worker with accessible training and development opportunities to understand and apply this new technology. We are partnering with Google to provide the new Cloud Certificates training for our current and future employees to accelerate their careers in cybersecurity and data analytics.” - Todd Conklin, Chief AI Officer and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection, U.S. Department of the Treasury  No-cost access for higher education institutions worldwide To expand access to these programs, educational institutions, as well as government and nonprofit workforce development programs across the globe, can offer these new certificates and gen AI courses at no cost. Learn more and apply today. And in the U.S., learners who successfully complete a Google Cloud Certificate can apply for college credit,7 to have a faster and more affordable pathway to a degree. “Purdue Global's students have benefited greatly from the strong working relationship between Purdue Global and Google. Together, they were the pioneers in stacking Grow with Google certificates into four types of degree-earning credit certificates over the past two years. We believe these new Google Cloud Cybersecurity and Data Analytics Certificates will equip our working adult learners with the essential skills to move forward and succeed in today’s cloud-driven market.” - Frank Dooley, Chancellor of Purdue Global  Take the next steps to upskill and identify cloud-skilled talent   We're helping to prepare new-to-industry talent for the most in-demand cloud jobs, expanding access to these opportunities globally, and pioneering a skills-based hiring effort with employers eager to hire them. Here's how you can get started: Learners: Preview the courses and certificates on Google Cloud YouTube and earn the full credential on Google Cloud Skills Boost to give yourself a headstart in the race to hire AI talent.   Higher education institutions and government / nonprofit workforce programs: Apply today to skill up your workforce at no cost.  Employers: Express interest to become a Google Cloud Affiliate Employer and be considered for our skills-based hiring pilot to connect with cloud-skilled talent. 1. LinkedIn, Future of Work Report (2023)2. CompTIA Survey (Feb 2024)3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024)4. (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study (2022)5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) 6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) 7. The Google Cloud Certificates offer a recommendation from the American Council on Education® of up to 10 college credits.

Are you at an inflection point and exploring how you might transition to a career in cloud? Amazonians, Prasad Rao and Ashish Prajapati, recently co-authored a book, Cloud Career Journeys, and sought to tell the stories of individuals who started or advanced their cloud career in the hopes that it will help inspire you to get started or progress your own cloud career. Whether you’re apprehensive about a cloud career because you do not have any IT experience, or you’re not sure how to take your IT skills to the cloud, you may find a relatable learner journey to spark your own career change and progression.

Learn how Steen Krogh Groennebaek transitioned into a career in cloud computing through free training at AWS Skills Center Seattle. From attending the free Cloud Exploration Day, to earning his AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification, Steen leveraged expert guidance, hands-on training, and networking opportunities to land a job and thrive in the cloud industry.

Learn how you can access AWS Workshops to build your AWS Cloud skills. AWS Workshops are free, self-guided tutorial experiences that give you hands-on experience with AWS services. Through technical step-by-step modules, created by teams at Amazon Web Services (AWS), any level of learner can build an understanding of AWS Cloud concepts along with practical skills and techniques.

Amazon CodeWhisperer is a revolutionary artificial intelligence (AI)-powered productivity tool that improves developer productivity and can serve as an accelerated learning path for cloud computing. Amazon CodeWhisperer uses machine learning (ML) to provide intelligent code suggestions in an integrated development environment (IDE). In this blog, we’ll explore three practical ways developers and cloud architects can use Amazon CodeWhisperer as an educational catalyst in their cloud learning journey.

Google Cloud credentials, including certifications and skill badges, empower you to validate your expertise in the ever-evolving landscape of cloud technology, and work towards that next promotion or prepare for a new career opportunity in cloud.  Going to Google Cloud Next in Las Vegas April 9-11? Check out all the opportunities to lead with learning and earn credentials. It’s still not too late to register for a digital pass. According to a recent study led by Pearson VUE, 92% of individuals with digital credentials are more confident in their abilities, and 81% have more confidence to explore new job opportunities. Whether you're looking to enhance your career prospects, transition into a new role, or showcase your cloud expertise, Google Cloud credentials offer a great pathway to elevate your career. We’re excited to introduce new, easy-to-use features that help to showcase your validated skills and demonstrate your expertise with Google Cloud. Our credential earners can now manage and share their credentials in one, easy-to-access place with the Google Cloud Credential Wallet, powered by Credly.  We invite credential earners to opt-into the Google Cloud Skills Directory, to help you gain visibility to career-relevant cloud opportunities.  Earners can take advantage of Labor Market Insights and discover open job opportunities based on verified skills and credentials, including job titles, locations, employers, and salary insights.  Join us for an webinar on April 17 at 8am PT to discover how to make the most of these tools and features to showcase your skills and connect to employment opportunities. And don’t miss Google Cloud Next 2024 where we have a huge number of opportunities to lean into learning and earning a Google Cloud credential. Check out all the ways to learn at Next here.  Meet Nikiya: A cloud skills success story Introducing Nikiya Simpson, a mom of three out of Little Rock Arkansas, who wears many hats: She’s a full stack engineer at a technology-based healthcare company and is pursuing her master’s degree in AI and Human-Computer Interaction at Georgia Tech, all while managing an active household. Nikiya, an avid learner on Google Cloud Skills Boost, tackles cloud challenges at work by utilizing on-demand learning labs during breaks. These labs provide her with hands-on experience with Google Cloud products and concepts related to Kubernetes, data processing, and application development. By acquiring targeted, validated skills with skill badges, Nikiya significantly enhanced her resume and career. “I was able to directly apply the skills obtained by earning skill badges in my career as a software engineer. I know more about cloud infrastructure, logging and monitoring, and how to create new solutions in ways that make me a better engineer. I’m also able to help people in my community spin up new projects, as well as explore new project ideas of my own.” Now, Nikiya continues to earn Google Cloud skill badges to advance her skillset, and even achieved the Associate Cloud Engineer certification, giving her the industry credibility needed to take on more complex projects at work. She even mentors aspiring cloud developers as an ambassador within the Women Techmakers program. Discover how Google Cloud Skills Boost and Google Cloud credentials fueled Nikiya's engineering journey. Check out her story here: SUCCESS STORY Start your cloud skilling journey by earning a skill badge today Try earning a Google Cloud skill badge today. Whether you’re just getting started with AI, or an experienced technical practitioner, there’s skilling for every level.   [Introductory] Prompt Design in Vertex AI  [Introductory] Insights from Data with BigQuery [Intermediate] Build and Deploy ML Solutions on Vertex AI [Intermediate] Deploy to Kubernetes in Google Cloud See you at the upcoming webinar. In the meantime, make sure to: Create your Credly account. Claim your digital badges. Access your Credential Wallet to share your badges with your network and to your resume!

Welcome to the March course launch blog. This month we launched eight new digital training products on AWS Skill Builder, including four new AWS Builder Labs and Generative AI Developer Kit. We also have three new, and one updated AWS Classroom Training courses—two of which have AWS Partner versions—including Developing Generative AI Applications on AWS. A reminder: registration is now open for the new AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate exam. You can begin preparing with curated exam prep resources, created by the experts at AWS, on AWS Skill Builder.

Kevin Kelly, director of AWS Cloud Institute, dives into the burgeoning demand for cloud skills and the pivotal role entry-level talent plays in addressing the industry's pressing needs. Drawing from the Enterprise Strategy Group's findings, Kelly emphasizes the transformative impact of nurturing and investing in entry-level cloud professionals alongside seasoned experts and how this approach in helping organizations thrive.

Google Cloud Champion Innovators is a global network of roughly 600 external professionals who are technical experts in Google Cloud products and services. Each Champion specializes in one of nine different technical categories including Coud AI/ML, Data Analytics, Databases, Hybrid Multi-Cloud, Modern Architecture, Security and Networking, Serverless App Development, Storage, or Google Workspace. In this ongoing interview series we sit down with Champion Innovators across the world to learn more about their journeys, technology focus, and what excites them. Today we're talking to Rohan Singh, a Senior Cloud Infrastructure Engineer at SADA - An Insight Company, and a Google Cloud Champion Innovator specializing in Modern Architecture. He focuses on infrastructure modernization and migration, applying his expertise to help organizations embrace the transformative power of cloud technologies. Natalie Tack (Google Cloud Editorial): What technology are you most fascinated with, and why?  Rohan Singh: Quite simply, I'm passionate about the cloud and DevOps: every day brings fresh developments, and there's always something new to learn. As a Senior Cloud Infrastructure Engineer, my work involves helping clients with their application infrastructure, focusing on strategy planning and choosing the best approach to their specific modernization and migration needs. A lot of companies are still working with legacy infrastructure, and finding the right strategy for them is a challenge that I really enjoy. Containerization is really big at the moment, so I’m doing a lot of work with Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) and Anthos and using Migrate for Compute Engine to transition VMs from on-premise to the Cloud.  NT: What are some upcoming trends you’re enthusiastic about? RS: I’m seeing more and more interest in Infrastructure as a Code (IaC). IaC enables you to increase your level of control over infrastructure implementation and design and improves resource management and code versioning. Google recently launched Infrastructure Manager, which uses Terraform and allows you to manage your Google Cloud infrastructure through IaC. As a Champion Innovator, I attended an internal session with the Google team where they presented the product and answered any queries we had. This was really useful, as I believe IaC is set to be a significant shift for the industry.  I’m also really excited about the potential of generative AI. As a Champion Innovator, I was granted early access to Duet AI in Google Cloud, which I see as a sort of personal assistant who’s on call 24/7 to answer my queries and help me solve any code challenges. I'm looking forward to finding out more about the potential integration of generative AI with Google Cloud’s native DevOps tools for infrastructure and applications. It’s early days, but the potential to leverage generative AI to deliver improved solutions to clients, enhance our solution architecture and troubleshoot issues is thrilling.  NT: How do you like to learn new services, applications and technologies? RS: My main resources are Google Cloud blogs, documentation, and my company's internal channels, where we continuously discuss cloud migration and modernization. Google Cloud release notes are great as the information is coming straight from the source. Google Cloud blog articles and Medium posts are also really useful. The Innovators program has gathered a wealth of technical expertise from Google Cloud itself and other Innovators around the world.  Being an Innovator also gives me the opportunity to practice extensively on Google Cloud, which is great as I’m a strong believer in learning by doing. As soon as I find out about something new, I like to put it into practice straight away. But while passion is crucial, so is paying attention to your wellbeing. I focus on my mental health because it keeps me and my family happy and enhances my productivity. When my mind is at peace, I can think more clearly and provide better solutions to our clients. NT: How has being part of the Innovators program impacted your personal and professional development? RS: Access to internal and Innovators-only training and certifications has really helped shape my approach to infrastructure modernization and migration. Another huge advantage is the robust community support. You’re connected with dozens of cloud enthusiasts and seasoned professionals who are there to support you.  Joining the program has also really expanded my horizons. I come from a small town where there aren’t many opportunities to interact with outsiders. Being an Innovator has boosted my confidence as well as my interpersonal and communication skills. I've also learned to articulate complex technical concepts in simple terms, which is really useful when working with non-technical colleagues and clients.  Having “Google Cloud Champion Innovator for Modern Architecture” in your bio also makes a real difference. People pay far more attention to what you’re saying! Since joining the program, my global reach on LinkedIn and Medium, and the queries I receive, have increased threefold.  NT: How important is community to you?  RS: Very important! I’m a strong advocate for community engagement. Cloud communities and programs like Innovators emphasize collaboration and knowledge sharing and connect people from diverse backgrounds. Regular interactions with others provide insights into challenges we’re all facing and are a great way to gain perspective.  I actively seek to share my stories and experiences and help people on the Google Cloud community page and via my Medium blog, where I run an interview series called “Silly Sit-Downs(SSD) with Rohan” with people from the industry irrespective of their domain. Video and podcasts are really big these days, but I truly believe in the power of reading and writing. Reading sparks the imagination, and it’s accessible to people everywhere as it doesn’t require a strong internet connection. I see myself as a mentor now, communicating globally without barriers. I’m not interested in follower numbers per se, but when I get messages from people saying my content has helped them it really makes my day.  NT: What advice would you give to budding Innovators?  RS: Pursue knowledge and skills, not titles. Don't choose a technology like cloud computing just because your friends are doing it or because you think you can make good money. Explore it first and if it interests you, start with the basics. Don't stress yourself out with unrealistic expectations, such as becoming a cloud expert in six months. Take your time to learn and grow at your own pace, stay active, travel, learn new things beyond technology, talk to people, and take breaks when necessary. Just getting started is difficult in its own right. For even more insight into how organizations are innovating with generative AI, check out our growing Innovators community – we appreciate ideas from like-minded Google Cloud users who want to take their journey to the next level.

This April, what happens in Vegas could raise the stakes on your cloud expertise!Join us April 9-11 at Google Cloud Next ‘24 in Las Vegas, where Google Cloud Consulting will offer three epic days of learning opportunities for attendees at any stage in their cloud journey – from curious beginners to advanced professionals, developers and partners to CxOs. It’s been exciting to build programming that can have a direct, positive impact on Next attendees professional journeys, and we have so much planned that you don’t want to miss. Get hands-on experience with the latest technology, explore live workshops, acquire skill badges, collect unique swag, watch demos on fresh innovations, perform challenges, connect with experts in the community, and more. Phew! Secure your ticket and register today.Got your ticket and ready to go? Check out some highlights of the learning experiences you can expect at Google Cloud Next.Earn our new generative AI skill badge (and swag!)Skilling up in gen AI? Now that’s a safe bet. The no-cost introductory Prompt Design in Vertex AI skill badge gives you hands-on experience building cloud solutions faster with gen AI while earning a valuable Google Cloud credential. Complete the introductory Prompt Design in Vertex AI skill badge before or during Next ‘24, and visit the Learning and Certification booth to pick up your limited-edition swag. Make sure to share your digital #GoogleCloudSkillBadge on your socials to highlight your achievement.Identify your Cloud TypeHave you ever pondered if you should set sail as a Python Pirate, or if you’d be better off finding your focus flow with a rubber duck? Great news — there’s a way to find out. Discover the skills that make you shine by taking our brand new “What’s my Cloud Type?” quiz at the Learning and Certification booth. It’s both entertaining and grounded in real insights to help you make informed decisions about your learning journey. After answering a few fun questions about your interests and working style, you’ll find out your Cloud Type — and receive recommendations for the relevant Google Cloud skill sets and personalized learning paths that align to it. Whether you lean towards realistic or artistic, prefer to investigate or innovate, there’s something for everyone to help tailor an ideal learning experience. You’ll also get a limited-edition pin to show your cloud skills with pride.Power up your potential with a training workshopNo matter your learning level, we’ve got a session to help you enhance your career. Individuals who get Google Cloud trained and certified report boosts in salary — and in feeling more confident about their work1. So invest in yourself and consider prioritizing a certification training workshop. There are a variety of ways to learn, including hands-on learning, gamified activities, speaker presentations, and more. New to data analysis and hoping to practice querying large datasets? Wanting to improve and implement your advanced gen AI abilities by creating a generative chat app? All that and more is waiting for you to explore in the session library. Check it our and book your Tech Training session seat today – they’re filling up fast!Join a Cloud Learning breakout sessionWant to understand how training and certification can transform your company's culture? We’ve got you. Get the lowdown on how to prepare for the most popular Google Cloud certification exams, realize the ways gen AI can enhance your team’s learning journey, gain insight into the latest learning resources from Google Cloud, and more. You won’t want to miss our customer sessions, where you’ll hear real stories about the positive impact that cloud learning has had on their businesses. Don't forget to check out the Cloud Learning and Certification playlist and mark your calendar for the sessions that catch your eye.Let inspiration strike at a Lightning TalkAs industries focus more on skills2, it becomes crucial to understand how to stay up to date — and how to translate your skills into career growth. Google Cloud Learning Services will be holding two Lightning Talks on how to own your professional narrative. Unsure how to differentiate your résumé? “Stand Out with Google Cloud Credentials” will show you how to turn your Google Cloud Credentials into a powerful currency. Wondering how you may need to adjust your approach to learning as technology advances at a rapid pace? “Need for Speed: Skilling up in the World of Cloud and AI” illuminates the importance and process of evaluating and re-upping your existing skills in this fast-paced world of AI and cloud technology. Learn more and discover even more Innovators Hive Lightning Talks in the session library.Advance your skills and get limited-edition swagWho doesn’t love swag? Demonstrate your Google Cloud prowess by earning any of these three skill badges from now until Next:Insights from Data with BigQueryBuild and Deploy ML Solutions on Vertex AIDeploy to Kubernetes in Google CloudYou’ll get a digital badge on your developer profile that you can share online to showcase your commitment to #GoogleCloudLearning. Then, when you’re at Next in Las Vegas, swing by the Learning and Certification booth and show us your developer profile to snag a limited-edition pin.Get guidance and greetings at the Learning and Certification boothWhether you’ve got questions about the latest updates to learning content or are on the hunt for stickers, the Learning and Certification booth is your destination. Drop by to chat with training experts, interact with the freshest learning materials and credentials, and of course, take your Cloud Skills Quiz! We’re also debuting our Learning Library: a collection of certification preparation and Googler authored generative AI books that you can check out and receive a discount to purchase online. And don’t forget to snap a selfie at our photo wall!Test your talents with the Persona QuizathonsGot 10 minutes during Next? Play the Google Cloud Quizathon in any of the seven Persona Areas in the Innovators Hive. You’ll test your knowledge of basic Google Cloud concepts in a fun, quiz-based game, and score a digital badge and physical swag to show off your expertise.Network and find the buzz at the Community HubMake connections at the Community Hub in the Innovators Hive. Connect with developers and Google Cloud Innovators to chat and learn about different Google communities and find the right one(s) for you. You’ll also find persona-based demos, access to experts, meetups, and more. Stop by anytime – there’s always something hopping at the Hub.Can’t wait to get started? Sign up for the Google Cloud Community and join the conversation today.Engage with experts at the Google Cloud Consulting boothHead to the Showcase and visit the Google Cloud Consulting booth for personalized consultations with product and solution experts and industry experts. Want tips on transforming your business? You can learn how to harness the power of advanced analytics to maximize your data insights, or explore integrating cutting-edge AI solutions to automate processes, improve decision-making, and enhance customer experiences. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with leaders in cloud technology and gain the insights you need to drive your business forward.Relax and revel in the Champions and Certified LoungeExclusively for Champion Innovators and the Google Cloud Certified community, come visit the lounge in the Innovators Hive to network, deep dive into discussions, or kick back and snack. You’ll find light refreshments, curated programming and meetups, and a photowall to capture and share your experiences. There will also be a few special surprise activities to help you unwind and bond with your fellow lounge-goers. Make sure to identify yourself as a Champion Innovator or Google Cloud Certified when you register for Next on your Profile page for easy lounge entry.We’re abuzz with excitement in anticipation of our biggest event of the year! Are you ready to raise your skill stakes and ante up your investment in your professional future? Come learn with us at Next in Las Vegas — we hope to see you there! Register today. 1. Based on survey responses from the 2020 Google Cloud certification impact report.2. From this 2022 Deloitte article

Learn how AWS Skills Center, Absa, and Women in Tech recently collaborated to create an impactful new cloud training program in South Africa to narrow the skills gap and open new career opportunities for women job-seekers. Through this program, 50 female computer science and engineering graduates completed training geared towards fast-tracking their career opportunities in tech and recently gathered at AWS Skills Center Cape Town to celebrate their achievements.

Take an inside look at the new AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate certification, AWS Exam Prep resources you can use, and additional offerings in the works from AWS Certification.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the professional landscape and ushering in a new era of efficiency and innovation for all industries. This transformation is not only changing the tools that we use, but is also reshaping the way organizations are structured and everyday tasks are executed. Access Partnership and Amazon Web Services (AWS) collaborated

International Women's Day honors the achievements of women worldwide and advocates for gender equality. This is the perfect opportunity to share a story that truly embodies the spirit of this significant occasion. In the traditionally male-dominated tech industry, a trio of women embarked on a remarkable journey at the recent Tech to the Rescue hackathon.

Cloud Networking is exciting, it is invisible, and yet without it nothing would communicate. If you need a high-level overview of the core services in Google Cloud, then the newly created Tour Of Cloud Networking lab is for you. Let’s take a look at this informational lab.The scaleThe lab introduces you to Google's Global network. One key benefit of running your workload on Google Cloud is you utilize the global scaled Google backbone powering services such as Search, Maps, YouTube, Google Cloud and more to billions of users and customers. In the lab, you will also learn about regions, zones and points of presence. Core elementsTo help you grasp the concept of cloud networking you can think of six building blocks. These blocks are network connectivity, networking security, service networking, service security, content delivery and observability, which help to simplify grouping of group networking functions.In this lab the following areas are introduced to highlight some of the core services related to each area:Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) networkNetwork servicesNetwork connectivityNetworking securityNetwork intelligence (i.e. Observability)Network Service Tiers Start your networking journeyStart today by signing up in the cloudskillsboost portal and navigating to the Tour of Cloud Networking lab.You can also learn more about networking with these resources:Products: Google Cloud networking productseBook: Cross-Cloud NetworkYouTube: Design secure enterprise networks for a multi-cloud worldSkillbook: Network engineer learning pathWant to ask a question, find out more or share a thought? Please connect with me on Linkedin.

Take a leap into learning this February, and make the most of the extra day! We’ve created a list of 29 no-cost ways for you to leap ahead in your cloud career, so take your pick and get learning something new!  The basics of Google Cloud and generative AI for everyone to learn  1. #LearnGenerativeAI on YouTube (<1 minute)  Take a hot minute to learn something new about #generativeAI.  2. Duet AI in Workspace (<30 minutes)  Watch these six short videos to help you get more productive in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet. 3. Generative AI Fundamentals Skill Badge (<60 minutes)  Earn a Google Cloud skill badge when you complete the introductory courses on generative AI, large language models (LLMs) and responsible AI.  4. Digital Transformation with Google Cloud (<2 hours) What is cloud technology? What does digital transformation mean? How can cloud technology help your organization? Where do you even begin? This course will help you discover the answers. 5. Exploring Data Transformation with Google Cloud (<60 minutes) Explore the value data can bring to an organization and ways to make data useful and accessible. 6. Innovating with Google Cloud AI (<60 minutes)  Discover how to use AI and ML to help transform the way you work. 7. A tour of Google Cloud hands-on labs (< 45 minutes) Take your first steps with Google Cloud by getting hands-on practice with the Cloud Console.  8. A tour of Google Cloud sustainability (<60 minutes)  Explore your carbon footprint data and use the Active Assist recommendations to help reduce your carbon footprint.  9. Modernize Infrastructure & Applications with Google Cloud (<60 minutes)  Learn more about the challenges of maintaining IT legacy systems and applications and the opportunities with modernizing your infrastructure.  10. Trust and Security with Google Cloud (<90 minutes)  Explore the basics of cloud security for data and applications.  11. Scaling with Google Cloud Operations (<45 minutes) Get a grip on the fundamentals of modern operations, reliability and resilience in the cloud.   12. Responsible AI: Applying AI Principles with Google Cloud (<2 hours) Learn how to help put responsible AI into practice in your organization.  Dive deeper into Duet AI: Using generative AI in your technical role  13. Day in the Life with Duet AI on YouTube (<5 minutes)  Got five minutes to spare? Whether you’re a data analyst, a network engineer, a cloud architect or an SRE, learn how you can use Duet AI in your role. 14. Duet AI in Google Cloud Learning Path (Starts at 45 minutes per course)  New video courses outlining how Duet AI in Google Cloud can help Application Developers, Cloud Architects, Data Analysts and Data Scientists, Network and Security Engineers, and DevOps Engineers. Labs in this learning path require credits to complete.  15. Duet AI Global Roadshow events (½ day)  Exclusive in-person events touring 30 cities, offering hands-on workshops to dive into the capability of Duet AI and learn how to integrate it in your development process.  Prepare for a Google Cloud Certification exam  16. Prepare for the Cloud Digital Leader certification (1 day) Complete the Cloud Digital Leader learning path, which helps everyone working with cloud understand the transformative power of this technology for your role, and team, and helps you prepare for the Cloud Digital Leader certification exam.   17. Prepare for your Associate Cloud Engineer Journey (1 day)  18. Prepare for your Professional Cloud Architect Journey (1 day)  19. Preparing for your Professional Data Engineer Journey (1 day)  20. Preparing for Your Professional Cloud Security Engineer Journey (1 day)  21. Preparing for Your Professional Cloud Network Engineer Journey (1 day) 22. Preparing for Your Google Workspace Administrator Journey (1 day) Each of these courses help you learn about the domains covered in the  corresponding Google Cloud certification exam and create a study plan to improve your knowledge as you prepare.  Get learning through no-cost technical labs  23. Play the Google Cloud Arcade  Get your game face on and complete gen AI labs at no-cost, to earn points towards claiming Google Cloud swag. 24. Getting started with BigQuery Machine Learning (45 minutes) In this lab, you’ll use a dataset in BigQuery to create a predictive model for consumer retail behavior using SQL queries.  25. Big data analysis to a slide presentation (60 minutes)  Use Google Apps Script in Google Cloud and Google Workspace and the BigQuery API to help explain you data analysis in a presentation  26. Explore and create reports with Looker Studio (40 minutes)  This lab focuses on how to create new reports and explore your datasets visually for insights.  27. Troubleshooting Common SQL errors with BigQuery (50 minutes)  Work through the logic of troubleshooting queries with a dataset.  Become part of the Google Cloud Developer community  28. Join Google Cloud Innovators Innovators is a no-cost community program for cloud practitioners and Google Cloud enthusiasts looking to learn the latest, access new technologies and help build skills. 29. Join a Google Developer Group Meet with local developers virtually or in-person, learn and share your skills, whether you’re just getting started or an experienced technical professional.

Whether you’re an engineer or an email warrior, start 2024 strong by making a learning resolution to boost your productivity with generative AI.Generative AI is playing a significant role in the future of technology, and Google Cloud has recently developed a range of training options to help you use generative AI in your daily job tasks through Duet AI, your AI-powered collaborator.What is Duet AI?Duet AI for Developers helps engineers of all types become more efficient in their daily activities. Use the Duet AI natural language chat interface to quickly get answers to cloud questions, or receive guidance on best practices. Whether you're writing apps, calling APIs, or querying data, Duet AI can help complete your code while you write, or generate code blocks based on comments.Duet AI in Workspace is an add-on that provides generative AI features in Google Docs, Google Sheets, Gmail, and the full range of apps. With Duet AI in Workspace, users write, visualize, organize, and connect more meaningfully with Google collaboration solutions.Check out our recommended list of 10 new trainings on Duet AI for Google Workspace and Duet AI for Google Cloud to learn how to use generative AI to improve your productivity and efficiency, whether you’re building apps or writing emails. And great news, you can try Duet AI for Developers today at no cost until Feb 1, 2024.Top ten Duet AI training courses for 2024Check out our recommended top ten list of short trainings available on Duet AI, for developers, data analysts, cloud engineers, architects, security engineers, and Workspace users. There is no cost to complete the courses. However, the technical labs require Google Cloud Skills Boost learning credits to complete.#LearnGenerativeAI on YouTube (60 seconds) - Learn the basics on what Duet AI is and how developers can use it.Introduction to Duet AI in Workspace (5 minutes) - Learn about the key features of Duet AI in Workspace and how it can improve productivity and efficiency.Duet AI for Application Developers (90 minutes) - Use Duet AI to assist in building an app, including a lab.Duet AI in Gmail, Google Docs, Google Slides and Google Sheets (30 minutes) - Get extra productive using Duet AI to help with content generation.Duet AI for Cloud Architects (90 minutes) - Use Duet AI to build multi-tier web apps, learn how to prompt Duet AI to explain infrastructure, deploy GKE clusters and update existing infrastructure, including a lab.Duet AI for Data Scientists and Analysts (2 hours) - Use Duet AI to analyze customer data and predict product sales, including a lab.Duet AI for Network Engineers (60 minutes) - Prompt Duet AI to provide specific guidance for your networking tasks, including a lab.Duet AI for Security Engineers (60 minutes) - Deploy example workloads into an environment in Google Cloud, identify and remediate security misconfigurations with Duet AI, including a lab.Duet AI for DevOps Engineers (100 minutes) - Learn how to prompt Duet AI to find and understand application logs, create a GKE cluster, and investigate how to create a build environment, and use Duet AI to improve DevOps workflow, including a lab.Duet AI for end-to-end SDLC (2 hours) - Learn how to develop and build a web application, fix errors in the application, develop tests, and query data with Duet AI, including a lab.Learn more at a Duet AI roadshow event near youNew for 2024, Google Cloud Developer Relations and the Champion Innovators community have teamed up to host a series of in-person workshops across the globe to train developers on Duet AI. Take a look at the cities and dates available to join us for this no-cost Duet AI roadshow — the first workshop takes place in New York City on Feb. 2. Register here.Make a commitment to start 2024 strong by trying a new generative AI training from our list this year and join the Google Cloud Innovators community to stay up to date on the latest from Google Cloud.Got five minutes to spare? Whether you’re a data analyst, a network engineer, a cloud architect or an SRE, learn how you can use Duet AI in your role. Duet AI for Data Professionals

Imagine that you're an engineer at the company Acme Corp and you’ve been tasked with some big projects: integrating and delivering software using CI/CD and automation, as well as implementing data-driven metrics and observability tools. But many of your fellow engineers are struggling because there’s too much cognitive load — think deploying and automating Kubernetes clusters, configuring CI/CD pipelines, and worrying about security. You realize that to support the scale and growth of your company, you have to think differently about solving these challenges. This is where platform engineering might help you.Platform engineering is “the practice of planning and providing such computing platforms to developers and users and encompasses all parts of platforms and their capabilities — their people, processes, policies and technologies; as well as the desired business outcomes that drive them,” writes the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). This emerging discipline incorporates lessons learned from the DevOps revolution, recent Cloud Native developments in Kubernetes and serverless, as well as advances in observability and SRE.A career in platform engineering, meanwhile, means becoming part of a product team focused on delivering software, tools, and services. Whether you’re just starting your IT career as a young graduate or you’re already a highly experienced developer or engineer, platform engineering offers growth opportunities and the ability to gain new technical skills.Read on for an overview of the platform engineering field, including an introduction to what platform engineers do and the skills required. We also discuss the importance of user-centricity and having a product mindset, and provide some tips for setting goals and avoiding common pitfalls.Common attributes of a platform engineer So, what are some of the things that are expected of a platform engineer? Generally speaking, the role requires a mix of technical and people skills — job-related competencies that are necessary to complete work, as well as personal qualities and traits that impact how the role is approached. You can learn some of them to get started down the platform engineering career path, however there is no expectation that you need to know all of them to be successful, as these skillsets will often be distributed across your team. Here are some of the different attributes of a platform engineer:Takes a customer-centric approach — being a reliable partner for engineering groups, sharing knowledge, working with other teams including software developers, SREs and Product ManagersFamiliar with DevSecOps practicesAvid learner, problem solver, detail-orientated, and able to communicate effectively across teamsAble to articulate the benefits of the platform engineering approach to fellow colleagues and engineersApplies a product mindset for the platform, e.g., using customer user journeys and friction logsGiven its particular significance in the Platform Engineering realm, let's delve into the customer-centric approach from the list above.The design loop and the significance of customer focus If platforms are first and foremost a product, as the CNCF Platforms White Paper suggests, the focus is on its users. From the Google DORA Research 2023 we know that user focus is key: “Teams that focus on the user have 40% higher organizational performance than teams that don’t.”At Google we believe that if we focus on the user everything else will follow — a key part of our philosophy. Having an empathetic user mindset requires a deep understanding of the needs and demands of your users, which is achieved through interviews, systematic statistics, metrics and data. You gather the data by focusing on both quantitative and qualitative metrics.For example, you might decide to adopt Google’s HEART (Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, Task Success) framework, covered in detail in this whitepaper. As a platform engineer, you might be especially interested in the perceived “happiness” of your users with the offered platform services; you probably also want to measure and track platform adoption as well as (potential) retention of the offerings. Why are users coming to you or leaving? What is missing and could be improved in the next platform design sprint? Or perhaps you might want to create a friction log that documents the hurdles your users face when using your platform services. Ideally you can also become your own customer and use your own platform offerings, engaging with the friction log and users’ journeys through the platform. The platform engineering design loop We believe that an effective way to start thinking about platform engineering is to imagine a platform engineering design loop with you as a platform engineer at the center of it. You improve your customer focus by conducting user research that helps you understand their priorities better. You build empathy for them by documenting friction logs and other types of experiments. The platform backlog is where your team makes decisions on the engineering product portfolio, focusing on the platform’s contribution to your company’s value streams. Having a product mindset helps understand users’ needs, have a clear vision and roadmap, prioritize user features, documentation, and be open to product enhancements. Finally, once you have delivered the initial release of your platform, you continue iterating in this loop, making the platform better with every iteration.What does a platform engineer actually do? All this being said, a platform engineer performs a variety of tasks within a larger platform engineering group. Of course, nobody can do everything and you will require specialization, but here are some of the topics you might want to focus on:Google Cloud servicesContainer runtimes: Google Kubernetes Engine, Cloud RunCompute runtimes: Compute Engine, Google Cloud VMware EngineDatabases: Spanner, Bigtable, Cloud SQLBuild and maintain the internal developer portalSupport developer tooling: Cloud WorkstationsMaintain CI/CD: Cloud Build, Cloud Deploy and Artifact RegistryImplement compliance as a code for selected supported golden paths using Infrastructure Manager and Policy Controller, helping to reduce cognitive load on developers and allowing for faster time to deployment.ArchitectureGain a deep understanding of infrastructure and application architectureCo-writing with developers and support the golden paths through the use of Infrastructure as CodeCreate fantastic documentation as for example explained in our courses on technical writing. Don’t forget that architecture decision records are a key part of your engineering documentation.Operations and reliabilitySite Reliability Engineering - Adopt best practices for reliable operations of your platformSecurity Engineering - Compliance, horizontal controls, and guardrails for your platformEngineering backlogUse a backlog to list outstanding tasks and prioritize a portfolio of engineering work. The bulk of the focus should be on resolving the backlog of requests, with some additional time set aside for both continuous improvement and experimentation.Experimenting and innovating with new technology - This is an essential task for platform engineers, for example learning new services and features to better improve your platform.Our industry has been focusing a lot on shifting complexity “left” to allow for better tested, integrated and secure code. In fact, here at Google we strongly believe that in addition to that, a platform effort can help you “shift down” this complexity. Of course, nobody can do everything (think about "cognitive load”), not even a superstar platform engineer like you!What platform engineers should avoid ?In addition to all the things that newly minted platform engineers should be doing, here are some things not to do: Failing to prioritize the needs of developers and neglecting them from the design loopActing as a catch all for random tasks: Prioritizing and establishing the right culture is critical, and failing to do so will lead to burnout and lack of productivity (as shared in the State of DevOps Report 2023 report)Stagnating: Continual learning is not just a job perk, it’s a core part of engineers’ daily tasksExhibiting hero engineer syndrome: Instead, spread out skills across the group and work at a sustainable paceExpecting immediate adoption upon building the platform without evangelism, education, and gaining developers’ trustThese are just some of the common pitfalls that we’ve seen so far.Platform engineers are the backbone of modern software delivery Platform engineers are essential for the success of a modern enterprise software strategy, responsible for creating and maintaining the platforms that developers use to build and deploy applications. In today's world, where software is constantly evolving, platform engineers are a key force to providing scalable software services and keep users as their primary focus. They carefully understand the demands and needs of their internal customers, combining their technology expertise with the knowledge of latest developments in the industry.Finally, here are some further resources to aid in your platform engineering learning journey.The book Software Engineering at Google covers creating a sustainable software ecosystem by diving into culture, processes and toolsGoogle SRE Books and workshopsDORA.dev - research into the capabilities that drive software delivery and operations performanceGoogle Cloud certifications -> Cloud Architect, Cloud DevOps Engineer, Cloud Developer, Cloud Security Engineer, Cloud Network Engineer

Students pursuing undergraduate degrees in engineering, computer science, IT, and other related fields: Are you curious about how to apply training and certifications to your real-life, day-to-day experience, or to upskill your technical capabilities? If so, this blog is for you.In September and October 2023, approximately 100k students from 700 educational campuses in India completed the Google Cloud Computing Foundations course, learning generative AI skills that they can use on the job.These students completed the course with help from learning content provided by Google Cloud Study Jams, community-led study groups run by Google Developer Student Clubs (GDSC). These study groups help aspiring developers get hands-on training in Google Cloud technologies, from containerizing applications to data engineering to machine learning and AI. They are set up as study parties, for a range of cloud topics and skill levels, and they can be tailored to group needs.The study jam events in India had a significant impact for student learners and facilitators:Students learned key foundational and technical skills to prepare them for their future careers.Student facilitators had the opportunity to gain a relevant Google Cloud certification.Nominated student facilitators gained leadership experience amongst their peers.How it workedThe Google Developer Student Clubs team in India started by reaching out to Google Cloud Developer Advocate Romin Irani to train student facilitators nominated from each GDSC educational institution. This train-the-trainer program focused on generative AI and cloud computing basics, and ran as a series of live sessions every week. The facilitators were then ready to manage the learning experience for students at their campuses.In turn, student facilitators trained their students using learning material that is available to anyone, at any time. We encourage you to go check it out yourself. Materials included:Google Cloud Computing Foundations: Cloud Computing Fundamentals - Comprised of videos, labs and quizzes, this introductory content helps learners gain hands-on skills in Google Cloud infrastructure, networking, security, data, and AI and ML.The Arcade - This no-cost gamified learning experience offers gen AI technical labs and the opportunity to earn swag. The games change from month to month, and must be completed within the month. The students in India worked on prompt engineering games.Facilitators chose how they wanted to train their students. Some facilitators let students go through the training independently, acting merely as a point person for troubleshooting. Some taught the content digitally, and some in-person. Many facilitators took a hybrid approach.Here’s what Himanshu Jagdale had to say about the facilitator experience:“Being a Cloud Facilitator in Google Cloud Study Jams was a game-changer for my certification journey. It not only deepened my understanding of Google Cloud, but also allowed me to share knowledge, and collaborate with other facilitators who really helped me during my Associate Cloud Engineer certification. The hands-on labs and expert sessions by Romin Irani enriched my practical skills, making a significant contribution to my success in achieving the Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer certification.”Participant Adarsh Rawat said:“The Google Cloud Study Jam program was immensely beneficial to me. The hands-on labs and modules assisted me in building concepts and covering the certification syllabus. Honestly, I am a big fan of labs, as they allow for the coverage of most vital topics at once.”Get involvedIf you're a student with a passion for technology, we invite you to join a Google Developer Student Club near you — there are over 2100 Google Developer Student Clubs around the world, and joining one can help you learn, grow, and build a network of like-minded individuals, as well as find out about upcoming study jam opportunities. (If you’re not a student but looking to join a local community to stay connected and grow your skills, be sure to check out your local Google Developer Group.)You can continue upskilling on Google Cloud by playing The Arcade at no-cost, with new games published regularly. Not only does The Arcade help you learn new hands-on technical skills, it also lets you gain points to use towards cool Google Cloud swag.You can also visit Google Cloud Skills Boost for on-demand, role-based training to help you build your skills and validate your knowledge, any time, anywhere. You’ll find a variety of training options for in-demand job roles, like data analyst, security engineer, cloud engineer, machine learning engineer, and more, at levels ranging from introductory to advanced.Start 2024 strong by upskilling with Google Cloud.

Calling all cloud developers. This year there has been a lot of focus on generative AI, with plenty of excitement about the potential it brings to the future of cloud technology. Today we’re launching new training on Duet AI in Google Cloud that can help you get the most out of the new product features so that you can build customer experiences quickly, more securely, and like never before.Duet AI is an AI-powered collaborator that helps you build secure, scalable applications while providing expert guidance. It’s built on top of Google’s large language models (LLMs) and tuned by Google Cloud experts.Find out how to incorporate Duet AI in Google Cloud into your day-to-day activities. The new Duet AI in Google Cloud Learning Path consists of a series of videos, quizzes and labs (requiring credits) to test your skills. Each video and quiz can be completed at no-cost. Labs cost 5 credits each in Google Cloud Skills Boost, with a total of 8 labs (for 40 credits total) across the learning path. These resources could help you become more productive in Google Cloud and IDEs, and to get more done, faster.What can you do with Duet AI in Google Cloud?Duet AI is more than just a developer productivity tool, it's also a learning companion for developers of all skill levels embarking on the development lifecycle. Whether you're just starting with cloud technologies or are a seasoned expert, Duet AI is here to guide and enhance your journey to mastery in software development and Google Cloud.It offers personalized, expert-level advice in natural language on a wide range of topics, from crafting specific queries and scripts, to mastering common Google Cloud tasks, to best practices for application deployment, and cost optimization. Integrated within both the IDE and the Google Cloud console, Duet AI promotes a learning experience that can minimize the need for context-switching.Here are some examples on how Duet AI can help:Real-time code creation and editing assistance. Describe a task that you have in mind as a comment or function name, and Duet AI will generate suggested code that can be reviewed and modifiedChat assistance in the IDE for troubleshootingOvercome challenges that many of us experience day-to-day, like friction when integrating new tools and services, hashing over repetitive tasks, and spending time understanding a new code base or projectUse templates to develop a basic app. Then run, test, and deploy to Google Cloud, all with Duet AI assistanceSave time and increase code quality when writing testsHow to learn about Duet AIReady to get started using Duet AI? Go to the Duet AI in Google Cloud Learning Path, or dive directly into each of the role-based courses (1 to 2.5 hours each) within the learning path:Duet AI for Application DevelopersDuet AI for Cloud ArchitectsDuet AI for Data Scientists and AnalystsDuet AI for Network EngineersDuet AI for Security EngineersDuet AI for DevOps EngineersDuet AI for end-to-end SDLCLooking to build your cloud skills even more? Google Cloud Innovators Plus is a great way to access the Duet AI in Google Cloud learning path, and the entire catalog of Google Cloud Skills Boost on-demand training. Your membership gets you $1,500 in developer benefits for $299 a year, including Google Cloud Credits, a Google Cloud certification voucher, 1:1 access to experts, and more. Join here.