Member Article

Google brings free digital skills training to Newcastle with Digital Garage launch

Google has today announced that it is opening a pop-up ‘Digital Garage’ in Newcastle City Library, where it will deliver free digital skills training.

Delivered in partnership with Newcastle City Library, Newcastle City Council, North East LEP and the North East Business & IP Centre, the Garage will open on 22nd April and will employ experts to provide one-to-one mentoring and digital masterclasses five days a week.

Google is inviting anybody who wants to learn the skills they need to make the most of the web to pop by the Garage for a ‘digital tune-up’. This could be anyone from locals looking to improve their career prospects and vocational skills, to small businesses looking to grow online.

More than 90% of jobs will require digital literacy in the near future and small companies can grow twice as fast when they have a strong web presence, so it is crucial that both employers and employees keep up to date with the opportunities presented by online technology.

Over 88% of businesses that have previously attended a training session at The Digital Garage state that they have changed the way they run or promote their business online; 68% of people surveyed say they’ve seen positive results - in either increased sales, bookings, web traffic or social media following - after Google’s free training.

The Digital Garage will also host bespoke training events for charities, computer science education sessions for local students and teachers, and a range of other activities delivered in partnership with local organisations.

Outside of the CityLibrary, the team of digital trainers will visit the other districts of Newcastle and conduct training and mentoring in local communities where there is a demand.

The initiative is part of a multi-million pound investment outside of London, and aims to be a growth engine for 250,000 Brits - giving them crucial skills for the digital age.

In an additional effort to help ensure that young people acquire the computing skills needed to succeed in the future, Google.org has also invested in computer science in partnership with Code Club Pro, Computing at Schools (CAS) and Raspberry Pi to support training for thousands of teachers.

Eileen Naughton, Google’s Managing Director for UK & Ireland, said: “In the digital age, a basic understanding of how the online world works is useful; and when it comes to business, it’s essential.

“We are bringing the Google Garage to Newcastle because we believe Google can be a growth engine for businesses all across the UK—from startups to established companies.”

Eileen added: “We are also welcoming individuals, be they recent graduates or aspiring entrepreneurs, to attend seminars at the Garage and learn more about how digital can help them grow.”

Neil Morgan, EVP Digital Marketing at Sage UK Ltd, said: “Sage works with hundreds of thousands of small and medium businesses in the UK so we understand how important digital skills are in enabling them to reach potential customers.

“Employers like these welcome digital training for the additional ‘employability’ factor it gives to both employees and potential candidates. This week’s Digital Garage from Google is a great initiative to bridge the digital skills gap.”