Google’s Grow With Google initiative – a nationwide technology training tour – kicked off in Indianapolis Friday. The two-day conference is the beginning of a relationship between the tech giant and Indiana.
Nearly 2,000 Hoosiers registered for digital workshops and training with Google.
The initiative’s Community Engagement head Erica Swanson says Indianapolis is fifth in the country for growth in technology jobs.
“And as much as that, we really saw that people in all jobs here are using technology in their daily lives,” Swanson says.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett says Google launching the initiative is huge for the city.
“Indianapolis has really become the tech capital of the Midwest,” Hogsett says.
Swanson says Google plans more work in the Hoosier State beyond the two-day conference. The company will continue working with community partners to help address the middle-skills gap in technology.
“Yeah, we’re really just getting started,” Swanson says. “Going forward we’ll be working with our partner organizations to really understand how we can support the work they’re doing, so this really grows from here.”
As part of that, Google announced it will donate $1 billion over five years to nonprofits to help bridge that divide.
