Google Canada has launched the Google AI Professional Certificate for learners in Canada, expanding its training push as demand for AI education rises.
The programme focuses on workplace AI skills and includes more than 20 hands-on activities. Learners will cover AI fundamentals, brainstorming and planning, research, writing, content creation, data analysis and app building.
According to Google, the certificate can be completed in under 10 hours. Learners in Canada who enrol will also receive three months of no-cost access to Google AI Pro.
Interest in AI training has increased sharply in Canada. Google cited search data showing local searches for "AI education" and "AI upskilling" reached an all-time high this year, while interest in "free AI courses for beginners" rose 250% in the past month.
The launch comes as employers place more weight on AI skills in recruitment and training. Research commissioned by Google from the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute found that most Canadian employers now expect new and entry-level workers to be ready to use AI effectively.
Separate figures cited by Google showed 70% of employers would prioritise hiring a candidate with AI skills, pointing to a labour market in which practical familiarity with AI tools is shifting from a specialist requirement to a broader expectation.
The course sits within Grow with Google, the company's wider education and workforce initiative. Last year, Google launched an AUD $13 million AI Opportunity Fund as part of a plan to bring AI skills to more than 2 million Canadians, and also introduced the Google AI Essentials course for beginners.
The new certificate is positioned as a step beyond introductory training. The syllabus includes prompting, project planning, use of Deep Research and NotebookLM, preparation of stakeholder communications, image and video generation, spreadsheet analysis with Gemini in Google Sheets, and app creation through what Google describes as vibe coding.
Access and employers
Google is working with several non-profit groups to widen access through scholarships for people from underrepresented communities. The organisations named are Canada Learning Code, ComIT, Digital Main Street, First Work and the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business.
Some employers are also adopting the certificate for staff training. Walmart and Deloitte Canada are offering the course to help employees build AI skills.
Sabrina Geremia, Vice President and Country Managing Director of Google Canada, said the company is seeing a shift in how Canadians approach the technology.
"When I speak with Canadian business leaders, workers, and community partners, the conversation has fundamentally shifted. People are no longer just asking "what is AI?"-they are asking "how can I use AI to grow?" At Google, we believe that to truly unlock Canada's economic potential, we must empower every Canadian to meet this moment with confidence. Helping Canadians build the essential AI skills to grow their businesses and careers is foundational to who we are," said Geremia.
She said the new course is intended to reflect changes in both the labour market and the technology.
"That's why today, we're building on our AI skilling offerings for Canadians by launching the Google AI Professional Certificate, a new course from Grow with Google. While Google AI Essentials helps beginners get started with the basics, our AI Professional Certificate is designed to help learners master the skills to use AI as a collaborative partner in their daily work-equipping people with the applied, in-demand skills that employers are looking for today. Through over 20 hands-on activities, learners will discover how AI can become their ultimate professional partner-assisting with everything from deep research and data analysis to content creation. The entire certificate can be completed in under 10 hours, and learners will walk away with a job-ready portfolio of AI projects they can use to stand out to employers and immediately apply to their work," said Geremia.
Wider push
More than 64,500 people in Canada have graduated from Google's Career Certificate programme, and AI training is now included in every certificate in that scheme.
Google also said more than 75% of those certificate graduates reported a positive career outcome. The figures form part of its argument that short-form technical training can influence employability, although it did not provide further detail on the methodology.
Geremia said access remains a central part of the company's approach.
"A core pillar of our skilling efforts is ensuring equitable access. To help ensure the opportunities created by AI are accessible to everyone, we are partnering with non-profit organizations including Canada Learning Code, ComIT, Digital Main Street, First Work, and the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business to grant scholarships to individuals in their network from underrepresented communities. To help bridge the AI skills gap, employers including Walmart and Deloitte Canada are offering this certificate to upskill their employees on AI. We also know the best way to learn AI is by doing. In a first-of-its-kind offer, we're providing every learner who enrolls in the course three months of no-cost access to Google AI Pro, which unlocks our most capable AI tools," said Geremia.