The University of Colorado (CU) system has renewed its involvement in the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) Microcredentials Community of Practice, part of the Google AI for Education Accelerator. This initiative aims to deliver Google Career Certificates and artificial intelligence (AI) training to students, faculty, and staff at no cost.
NASH is a partnership with Google that includes 11 higher education systems and 88 institutions nationwide. Modeled after the University of Texas’ Texas Credentials for the Future program, it brought together over 100 faculty members and leaders to embed Google Career Certificates and AI training into academic programs or offer them as co-curricular options. In its first year, nearly 15,000 learners participated.
Through the Google AI for Education Accelerator, CU system participants can access industry-recognized certificates in fields such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and IT support. These certificates are recognized by an employer consortium of more than 150 companies—including Google—and are used for hiring or upskilling purposes. According to program data, over one million people have completed these certificates globally, with more than 70% reporting positive career outcomes within six months.
The program also offers “AI Essentials,” which covers foundational AI skills, prompting techniques, responsible use of AI tools, and practical applications like creating study guides or building resumes. Additionally, CU campuses receive enterprise access to Gemini and NotebookLM through Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals.
At CU campuses, different approaches are being used to integrate these credentials. Janice Thorpe, teaching professor at UCCS said: “UCCS is making Google Career Certificates available to students across disciplines with a two-pronged approach. First, faculty are integrating modules and micro‑specializations directly into credit‑bearing courses, so students earn industry‑recognized credentials as part of their normal learning pathway. Additionally, the certificates are available through our Career Center for students to complete alongside their coursework.”
Sarah Trzeciak, assistant vice chancellor for career development at CU Denver commented: “Employers want a degree and experience when they’re hiring entry-level positions now. These certificates are perfect for students who may not be able to complete an internship, are working full-time already, caretaking or just busy. Being able to complete a self-paced, industry-recognized certificate is a great way to stand out in the job market.”
Randall Fullington from CU Boulder noted: “We see these certificates serving a couple of needs on campus. First, we find that students are hungry to add additional credentials to their resumes as they start looking for jobs. These certificates provide students with industry-recognized skills in verified badges, which is something employers are eager to see. Second, we’re seeing students interested in adding interdisciplinary elements to their majors. These certificates allow students to add business, computing and AI skills to their primary areas of interest, which opens up new avenues for creativity and innovation in their work.”
Lisa Gevelber from Grow with Google stated: “Every student deserves access to the AI skills needed to succeed in today’s job market,” adding that partnering with CU and NASH helps provide advanced AI products and training.
Participating institutions receive technical assistance from experts at the University of Texas System as well as NASH and Google; opportunities for networking; resources such as playbooks and case studies; best practice sharing; and a $15,000 stipend per system.
More information about the program can be found at https://grow.google/certificates-academic-institutions/ or nash.edu/nash-google-microcredentials-partnership/.
