Google Pledges $1 Billion to Fund Non-Profit Education

India-born Google CEO Sundar Pichai has pledged $1 billion in new initiatives to prepare people for the next-generation technology jobs. The company will spend the money over the next five years on non-profit organisations helping raise education levels around the world and commit its employees to a million hours of volunteer work doing the same.

Pichai announced the goal Thursday morning in Pittsburgh, the city where he arrived in the US from India 24 years ago. Pichai also unveiled a programme called "Grow with Google" aimed at training Americans how to get jobs or grow their businesses. The program aims to outfit people with computer and entrepreneurial skills.

Google is partnering with online education companies like Udacity and Coursera as well as charitable organisations like Goodwill and 4-H. The partnership Goodwill includes a $10 million grant.

The company said it will fund organisations working in areas like closing the world's education gap, helping people prepare for the changing nature of work and ensuring that no one is excluded from opportunity.

"We're always asking how we can make sure the opportunities created by new technology are available for everyone, in any city, in any state," Pichai was quoted as saying.

As mentioned, Pichai also announced a second programme under which Google employees will be able to donate one million volunteer hours to nonprofits. The Grow with Google programme aims to help US workers by giving them access to Google products and in-person training sessions.

"Sometimes, it's just showing up to help set up an event. Sometimes, we take a close look at technical issues non-profits might be having and help them innovate more quickly," Pichai said.