Purdue expands free online AI and high-demand technical skill courses to alumni – Purdue University

Purdue University Initiative for Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development

Purdue University has announced a significant expansion of its educational offerings, directly supporting several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Through a strategic partnership with Google and the Purdue for Life Foundation, the university will provide its alumni network with access to professional development programs designed to foster lifelong learning and enhance employability in high-demand fields.

Program Expansion and Contribution to SDG 4: Quality Education

Effective November 13, Purdue University will extend its transformative partnership with Google to offer the Google Career Certificate program to its alumni. This initiative promotes inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, a core tenet of SDG 4. The program ensures that graduates have continued access to relevant skills training long after commencement.

• The initiative provides alumni with no-cost access to online courses and certificates in critical technical fields.
• In a special partnership with the Purdue for Life Foundation, the university will also offer its proprietary AI microcredential, “Demystifying AI, Understanding Risks and Shaping the Future,” free of charge to alumni.
• This AI microcredential series is the first of its kind to receive quality assurance recognition from ABET, a global accreditor of college and university programs, underscoring the university’s commitment to high-quality educational standards.

Enhancing Employability in Support of SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

By equipping alumni with relevant technical and vocational skills, this initiative directly addresses SDG 8, which aims to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. The program focuses on upskilling and reskilling graduates for the modern economy.

1. Cybersecurity: Training to protect digital infrastructure and data.
2. Data Analytics: Skills to interpret complex data for informed decision-making.
3. Digital Marketing & E-commerce: Expertise in online market engagement and sales.
4. IT Support: Foundational knowledge for troubleshooting and maintaining technology systems.
5. Project Management: Competencies in planning, executing, and overseeing projects efficiently.

These offerings are designed to increase the number of adults with relevant skills for employment and entrepreneurship, thereby fostering economic resilience and growth.

Fostering Innovation through Strategic Partnerships (SDG 9 & SDG 17)

The collaboration between Purdue University, a public research institution, and Google, a leader in the technology industry, exemplifies a multi-stakeholder partnership as outlined in SDG 17. This alliance leverages combined resources to achieve educational and economic development goals. Furthermore, the program’s emphasis on advanced skills in AI and data analytics contributes to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by building a skilled workforce capable of driving technological progress and innovation.

• The partnership reflects Purdue’s commitment to making high-quality education accessible and affordable, aligning with its land-grant mission.
• Purdue provides a vast array of additional online learning opportunities, including the Purdue University Online YouTube channel and Purdue X courses, which promote accessible, interdisciplinary education.
• Advanced degrees, such as the MS in AI, are also available fully online, ensuring that learners can access rigorous, faculty-mentored education from anywhere in the world.

Institutional Commitment to Lifelong Learning

Dimitrios Peroulis, Purdue’s Senior Vice President for Partnerships and Online, stated that the program’s expansion reflects the university’s dedication to supporting graduates throughout their careers. This commitment recognizes that learning is a continuous process essential for personal and professional advancement. The Purdue for Life Foundation serves as a key portal for these educational opportunities, fostering a lifelong connection between the university and its alumni community while contributing to global sustainable development objectives.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The entire article focuses on providing accessible, high-quality education and lifelong learning opportunities. It details Purdue University’s initiatives, such as offering online courses, microcredentials, and certificates to its alumni to support their continuous professional development. The mention of “ABET recognition” explicitly underscores the commitment to quality.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The programs described are designed to equip graduates with “high-demand technical skills” relevant to the modern job market. By offering certificates in areas like cybersecurity, data analytics, and AI, the university aims to “help graduates advance their careers,” which directly contributes to promoting full and productive employment and decent work.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The focus on advanced technical skills, particularly in Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analytics, and cybersecurity, aligns with the goal of fostering innovation and upgrading the technological capabilities of the workforce. Providing education in these cutting-edge fields helps build a skilled population capable of driving industrial and technological progress.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article states that Purdue is committed to making “a high-quality Purdue education as accessible and affordable as possible.” By offering free access to certain online courses and expanding these opportunities to all alumni, the university is working to reduce financial and logistical barriers to continuing education, thereby promoting equal opportunity for skill development.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The initiative is built upon a “transformative partnership with Google.” This collaboration between a public university and a private technology company to achieve shared educational and developmental goals is a clear example of a multi-stakeholder partnership as envisioned by SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.
     
     The article highlights Purdue’s commitment to making education “accessible and affordable” for its alumni network through online programs, directly addressing access to quality tertiary and technical education.
   • Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
     
     The Google Career Certificates and AI microcredentials are explicitly designed to provide “high-demand technical skills” such as “cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing and e-commerce, IT support, and project management” to help graduates advance their careers.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation…
     
     By upskilling alumni in AI and data analytics, the program contributes to technological upgrading and innovation within the workforce, which is a key driver of economic productivity.

3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…
     
     The collaboration between Purdue University (a public institution) and Google (a private company) to offer the Google Career Certificate program is a direct implementation of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicators for SDG 4 (Quality Education)

  • Explicit Indicator of Quality: The article explicitly mentions that Purdue’s AI microcredentials are the “first of their kind to earn ABET recognition.” ABET is a formal quality assurance organization, and this recognition serves as a direct measure of the program’s quality.
  • Implicit Indicator of Participation: The expansion of the program to the entire “university’s alumni network” implies that the number of alumni enrolling in and completing these courses can be used as an indicator to measure the increase in adults with relevant technical skills (Target 4.4).
  • Indicator of Scope: The variety of courses offered (e.g., cybersecurity, data analytics, AI, project management) indicates the breadth of relevant skills being provided to the adult learners.

• Indicators for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

  • Explicit Indicator of Partnership: The existence of the “transformative partnership with Google” is itself an indicator of a successful public-private partnership aimed at achieving educational goals.

4. Summary Table

Source: purdue.edu