Google Giving Money to Groups That Help People Find Jobs

Google is offering financial assistance to groups that can help people get the skills and connections they need to find jobs.

Jacquelline Fuller is president of Google.org. On Wednesday, she said that “the way we work is changing.” She noted new jobs require and depend on technology.

Fuller said, “We want to make sure that as many people as possible can make the most of the new jobs, industries and opportunities that are emerging.”

She said Google is providing $50 million over two years to provide financial help for groups working on finding people jobs.

Google’s money will first go to non-profit groups in the United States and Europe. Later, Fuller said, groups in other parts of the world will get money.

Fuller said Google is looking for groups that can do one of three things: Help connect job seekers with jobs; do research to find what kind of job training works best at putting people into jobs; or provide help for low-wage workers who work in the service industry, such as restaurant employees, cleaners and store clerks.

“Service jobs are the fastest growing category of jobs in the U.S., Europe and many other developed economies,” Fuller said.

But she said many low-income workers find it difficult to get help when they run into trouble, such as sickness or injury. Low-income workers often do not get paid when they are unable to work.

Fuller talked about the National Domestic Workers Alliance, which she said is already getting financial help from Google.

The alliance collects money from domestic workers through a small monthly payment. Domestic workers often work in people’s homes, providing services such as cleaning.

That money collected from the workers is used to help workers who need to take time off their jobs deal with an emergencies.

Pew found divide on technology effects

In 2014, Pew questioned over 1,000 experts in technology, the economy and job creation about the effects of new technology. The experts were divided, Pew said.

About half expected robots and other technology to take jobs away from large numbers of people. For example, car companies are increasingly using robots, instead of people, to build cars.

But about half the experts expect just as many new jobs to replace the old ones lost to technology, Pew said.

The Pew report said these experts believe people “will create new jobs, industries, and ways to make a living,” just as people have been doing since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

I’m Caty Weaver.

Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

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