Arkansas Partners With Google to Launch Free Tech Training

Nov. 3, 2025 – Arkansas Department of Commerce partnered with Google to expand free access to online job training programs in high-demand technology fields, including cybersecurity, data analytics, and IT support.

The initiative offered residents statewide entry to Google’s self-paced certificate courses and new five-hour modules on artificial intelligence and digital skills.

The state said the program would help Arkansans “thrive as new technologies change the global economy” by preparing workers for tech-driven jobs and equipping small businesses with digital tools.

Courses such as Google AI Essentials and Google Prompting Essentials teach participants to use responsible AI practices, improve productivity, and design effective prompts for generative tools. Other certificate tracks cover project management, user experience design, and digital marketing.

According to the Arkansas Department of Commerce, all courses are available at no cost to participants through the state’s workforce training network. Officials said the partnership would help build a “high-skill talent pipeline” by connecting job seekers to industry-recognized credentials.

Similar Grow with Google partnerships have been launched in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Maryland, and North Carolina, where state agencies offered free certificate access through university systems and workforce centers to expand digital skills training.

The department called the partnership “an investment in Arkansas’s future” and said it would strengthen the state’s position in technology and innovation sectors.