From their FAQ on the IT role, which likely isn't much different for anything else: > Why did Google create this program? > Google has long faced an issue tha

From their FAQ on the IT role, which likely isn't much different for anything else: > Why did Google create this program? > Google has long faced an issue that many other companies also contend with -- we had open IT support roles, and not enough qualified candidates to fill them. So, a few years ago we began working with a nonprofit organization *to provide training and pathways to roles in technical support at Google*. We learned that not only is IT support a highly teachable field, but that we could teach someone completely new to the industry the IT fundamentals in under six months. So, we decided to build an IT training program on Coursera, created entirely by Googlers who are expert in IT support so this training could be available to everyone. This is just a way to funnel entry-level roles over to Google and/or use its services. Why pay people to learn on the job when you can have them pay you to learn before they have the job? :)