Initiative will help 6,000 job seekers gain vital new skills and earn a professional certificate.

As the pandemic accelerates a shift in the workforce toward positions that require digital skills, Goodwill, Facebook Elevate and Coursera are launching a new initiative to help job seekers master social media marketing skills. This vital partnership will help thousands of job seekers gain skills to prepare for career transitions.

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While many social media marketing roles require technical training previously learned through advanced degree programs, Facebook Elevate, along with Coursera, a global leader in online learning, launched a five-course program designed for learners with no prior industry experience to earn a Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate. This self-paced online program is designed to be completed within 20 weeks and includes 100 hours of hands-on, project-based training. After completing the program, learners will receive an industry-recognized certificate that they can use to apply for entry-level social media marketing roles.

This groundbreaking new training is intended to increase diversity and eliminate barriers to entry in this rapidly growing field of work. Facebook Elevate is funding Goodwill, North America’s leading workforce provider, to distribute 6,000 scholarships, covering the full costs of the training program. As part of Facebook Elevate’s commitment to diversity, the grant will enable Goodwill to offer holistic support to Black learners, providing eligible participants with services including career planning, résumé building and other supports as needed.

“The pandemic has hastened an existing economic shift to teleworking jobs that require digital skills,” said Steven C. Preston, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “This program focuses on support for people of color, who are less likely to have access to programs that help them learn these new skills. This initiative is one important step in closing that skills gap, and it will help thousands of individuals across the country to not only find jobs but build careers.”

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Facebook Elevate is a community and learning platform created to accelerate the growth of businesses of color and celebrate creators who break barriers and turn dreams into realities. In 2020, Facebook Elevate announced they will reach 1 million members of the Black community and 1 million members of the Latinx community in the U.S. over the next three years.

“Companies across the globe are rapidly changing and seeking diverse talent with digital skills. The new Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate Program is a helpful tool for job seekers to grow their digital skills and prepare for the opportunities of tomorrow,” said Judy Toland, vice president and head of scaled solutions, global business marketing at Facebook.

“Access to digital jobs is key to helping individuals unlock economic opportunity in a post-COVID world,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera. “We’re excited to partner with Goodwill and Facebook to equip learners of all backgrounds with the skills needed to enter the high-demand field of social media marketing.”

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