Google preps to get rid of jobs, also invest in displaced workers

Google invests

Automation and use of Artificial Intelligence is on the rise giving many cause for concern about the future of their jobs.

Google, one of the fastest advancing pioneers of these technologies knows this, and they want to help.

Won’t leave you high and dry

Google recently announced a $50 million dollar initiative to “study and prepare for the changing nature of work,” to help more people find jobs. It’s a noble effort, because Google knows that college isn’t for everyone, and there aren’t enough modernized resources currently available to steer jobseekers in the right direction.

The fresh cash is going to be doled out to non-profit groups and other organizations that offer skills-training and support for low-wage workers.

First in the US and Europe in a two-year commitment. With a rapidly evolving job market, Google hopes to provide those looking for jobs the ability to not only find them but to sustain them as well.

Google laid out three key points from their announcement in which they feel the grants will help:

Better connect jobseekers with jobs
The grants are being provided to non-profits who do innovative work to help connect jobseekers with employers. Some of the recipients of the grants are Code for America and Bayes Impact in France; both of which are developing technologies to make job searching easier, as well as recommendations and tips for job seekers to “improve their job search strategy.”

Help ensure training is as effective and as wide-reaching as possible
Some of the funds will be spent on research identifying how skills-training programs compare and which offer the most current and relevant information necessary for the jobs of the future.

Improving job quality for low-wage workers
With service jobs becoming one of the fastest growing job markets, workers are finding it difficult to find support traditionally offered at larger corporations. One of their grantees, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, has a service called Alia that allows the deposit of small amounts of money that will be paid out to the worker in case they are sick or injured. In a gig economy you don’t get vacation or sick days, so a little extra help to avoid financial insecurities can make a huge difference.

Committed to helping

Google didn’t specify exactly which tech transformations would be displacing workers first, but they did acknowledge that “more than a third of jobs are likely to require skills that are uncommon in today’s workforce,” so I can only help they’ve got some master plan in the works.

#GoogleInvesting