Governor, Google announce support for computer science partnerships

RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ/Governor’s Office Release) - Google has pledged to invest $300 million in Virginia with a total economic impact to the Commonwealth at about $8.8 billion.

That announcement was made Tuesday by Governor Glenn Youngkin and Google Vice President & Chief Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf. Google also announced a $250,000 grant to Virginia’s computer science advocacy and service provider, CodeVA, which will partner with Google and other stakeholders to develop a network of Computer Science Lab Schools, provide computer science professional development opportunities for computer science teachers and expand computer science resources for Virginia’s students and workers looking to be skilled for the knowledge economy.

Google will also partner with Virginia Community College System’s 23 colleges and five higher education centers to provide a turnkey set of professional certificates to help workers and learners gain the most in-demand skills and competencies, according to Youngkin.

“Google’s investment and partnership announcement is a timely and exciting development for the Commonwealth. Code with Google and CodeVA will prepare the next generation of Virginia’s students for careers in computer science. As governor, I am committed to creating workforce development opportunities, expanding our computer science opportunities for Virginia’s students, and reestablishing high expectations in education. Now the general assembly must act to move forward with lab schools to maximize the potential of the partnerships announced today for the benefit of Virginia’s students,” said Governor Youngkin.

“I have lived in Virginia for more than 40 years and am thrilled to see Google continue to grow and invest in the region,” said Vint Cerf, VP and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google. “We’re committed to playing a positive role in the communities we call home, and our latest partnerships with CodeVA, VCCS, and the Department of Education to help nurture the next generation of tech talent in Virginia are another testament to that commitment.”

The Grow with Google Partner Program provides free resources community organizations can use to teach digital skills that can help people grow their careers and businesses, according to the governor’s office. Partners receive, at no cost, program materials, training and a dedicated support team. To learn more, click here.

With its data centers in Loudoun County and a growing office in Reston, Google has more than 480 employees across the Commonwealth working in functions such as Google Cloud and the company infrastructure. Learn more about Google in Virginia here: g.co/economicimpact/virginia.