Google’s chief executive Sundar Pichai introduced a new tech job training initiative during a roundtable event in Dallas this Thursday while appearing alongside the US president’s daughter Ivanka Trump. The US first daughter strongly backed the White House-initiated programme “Pledge to America’s Workers” that would potentially help US employers expand education opportunities available to their personnel. Pichai said that, as a part of the commitment, Google would provide 250,000 training opportunities for Americans in the technology sector over the next five years.
#NEW At @ECCOnline in Dallas, Ivanka Trump & @Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the expansion of a high tech worker training program. @IvankaTrump: “The perfect example of career-focused education done right.” https://t.co/JMucNlgeOc @CBSDFW pic.twitter.com/WJaJdB2HYu
— Jack Fink (@cbs11jack) October 4, 2019
Google has already been a part of national skills training program called "Grow with Google" that provides free resources to learn different online skills and had previously signed the "America's Workers" pledge through its Internet Association. Thursday's announcement only strengthened the company's commitment to the US job market and confirmed its collaboration with Trump.
"We need to fundamentally change how we think about learning and education in this country ... and celebrate the many pathways to career success that exist today," Trump said during a roundtable, noting that the initiative will help attract young workers to the market and help retrain workers for new careers.
As Google is currently facing a state-led antitrust probe from 50 US attorney generals following accusations of monopolising the Internet and criticism over its support for bill S386 which aims to eliminate per-country numerical quotas for employment-based immigrants, reactions to the news of the initiative and collaboration with Trump were dubious.
hahaha. Mr. Pichai pretends to care for American Workers by initiating such plans. But don't forget Google supports bill #S386, AKA GREEN CARD GIVEAWAY bill, which imports millions of cheap foreign labor to replace American works. Oscar really owes you a trophy :) #NoS386 pic.twitter.com/q7i88zsigO
— Jeff Chang (@Jeff_Chang1993) October 4, 2019
That's good to hear. But why @Google is one of the big supporters and donors of #S386 which is a bill benefit cheap outsourcing workers? #NoS386 #S386IsNotFair https://t.co/TE1qlHMM9x pic.twitter.com/3xZ0XnjyO5
— Lynn Loper (@SLin034) October 4, 2019
So google will now hire minors and pay them less than a dollar good move
— Broadus Stewart (@stewart_broadus) October 3, 2019
No more google for me.
— Fadil Americano (@FadilAmericano) October 2, 2019
Some comments, however, concentrated on Ivanka Trump’s participation in the White House initiative rather than on Google’s alleged hypocrisy, while arguing that the US first daughter’s background may not have equipped her to be the best person to try to revitalise the US job market.
"My daddy promised me a job as well after he tricked himself in office..." ~ #IvankaTrump
— Neelakant Singh 🦁 (@Neelakantaya) October 2, 2019
Ok, that's it... I'm changing my default search engine to #Bing (#Kumo)
Ban #Google pic.twitter.com/z73Zb5duRF
Is she selling him a bag,or handing on her extensive knowledge of sweatshops and plagiarism
— Raffaella77 (@HeelSpurs0) October 3, 2019
Or just more shameless self promotion and straight up nepotism for talentless entitled twits at work here
In September 2019 Google reached an agreement with the US government over the “Street View” scandal where the technology company was accused of using its mapping project to vacuum emails, passwords and other sensitive personal data from unencrypted WiFi networks. The company was eventually obliged to pay around $13 million in damages to affected individuals and institutions.
