VIDEO: Google Digital Garage comes to Manchester

Thomas Bowen | 23rd November 2017

Google Digital Garage, King Street.

Viva Magazine attended the launch of the New Google Digital Garage, which offers a range of free courses aimed at improving digital skills and growing local businesses.

The launch also celebrates the first time Google has opened a garage for a full 12 months since the initial launch.

Google identifies a digital skills gap in the industry, and the Digital Garage brings together the best expert coaches around to offer free digital coaching for anyone that wants it.

Ruth Porat, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Google said: “The Internet is a powerful equalizer capable of propelling new ideas and moving people forward, and that’s what this garage is intended to do”.

Ruth, who grew up in Sale, was in Manchester on Monday to open the new Digital Garage on King Street.

From January, a digital training hub on wheels will also support the garage. Google has transformed a traditional double-decker bus, touring the greater Manchester area offering free training on the doorstep for people who can’t make it into the city center.

Google hopes to accelerate Manchester’s growth through the digital garage and is part of a wider scheme set by Mayor Andy Burnham, who aims to make Manchester the UK’s leading digital city.

Giving a warm Mancunian welcome speech at the event, the Mayor expressed his support towards the scheme saying it “couldn’t come at a better time” and “the initiative couldn’t be more in keeping with the approach of being people first”.

University Student Zeyao Xia Liu, explains how the Digital Garage helped her to start her own business.

British Chambers of Commerce recently found that three-quarters of businesses in the UK have a shortage of digital skills in their workplace. A third of people also said they found it difficult to identify appropriate training to plug this shortage.

Ruth Porat went on to explain that “When businesses are effective at using digital tools, when they have a strong online presence – they grow twice as fast. They create more jobs and they have a positive impact on the economy”.

For the next 12 months, Google will be right in the city centre helping businesses of all sizes and people to harness the power of the Internet – to grow their skills, careers, and businesses; all for free, 7 days a week!

You can sign up for any of the free classes at g.co/manchestergarage