The University of Colorado (CU) system has renewed its participation in the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) Microcredentials Community of Practice, an initiative supported by the Google AI for Education Accelerator. This partnership aims to provide students, faculty, and staff with no-cost access to skills-based certificates and artificial intelligence (AI) training.
NASH, modeled after a similar initiative at the University of Texas, brings together 11 higher education systems, 88 institutions, and over 100 faculty members and leaders. The program delivers Google Career Certificates and AI training either as co-curricular options or integrated into academic courses. In its first year, nearly 15,000 learners participated.
Through the Google AI for Education Accelerator, CU participants can earn industry-recognized credentials in fields such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and IT support. More than 1 million people have completed these certificates globally; over 70% report positive career impacts within six months. Students also have access to foundational AI training that covers responsible use of technology and practical applications like building resumes or preparing for interviews. Institutions benefit from enterprise access to tools such as Gemini and NotebookLM via Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals.
Faculty across CU campuses have described how these opportunities are being implemented locally. Janice Thorpe, teaching professor at UCCS, explained: “UCCS is making Google Career Certificates available to students across disciplines with a two-pronged approach. First, faculty are integrating modules and micro‑specializations directly into credit‑bearing courses, so students earn industry‑recognized credentials as part of their normal learning pathway. Additionally, the certificates are available through our Career Center for students to complete alongside their coursework.”
Sarah Trzeciak, assistant vice chancellor for career development at CU Denver, noted: “Employers want a degree and experience when they’re hiring entry-level positions now. These certificates are perfect for students who may not be able to complete an internship, are working full-time already, caretaking or just busy. Being able to complete a self-paced, industry-recognized certificate is a great way to stand out in the job market.”
Randall Fullington from CU Boulder said: “We see these certificates serving a couple of needs on campus. First, we find that students are hungry to add additional credentials to their resumes as they start looking for jobs. These certificates provide students with industry-recognized skills in verified badges, which is something employers are eager to see. Second, we’re seeing students interested in adding interdisciplinary elements to their majors. These certificates allow students to add business, computing and AI skills to their primary areas of interest, which opens up new avenues for creativity and innovation in their work.”
Lisa Gevelber, founder of Grow with Google stated: “Every student deserves access to the AI skills needed to succeed in today’s job market. We are proud to partner with the CU system and NASH to provide students with our most advanced AI products and training, ensuring they know how to make the most of the technology in the classroom and beyond. This program builds on years of us working together with universities to help students prepare for exciting careers.”
Participating institutions receive technical assistance from experts at the University of Texas System and other organizations involved in NASH and Google partnerships. Support includes professional development sessions and ongoing coaching aimed at successful implementation of microcredential programs. There are also networking opportunities among participating systems focused on topics such as microcredentials and workforce trends.
Additional resources include playbooks and case studies designed to share promising practices across institutions; each participating system receives a $15,000 stipend intended for flexible use toward action-oriented outcomes.
More information about the Google AI for Education Accelerator can be found at https://grow.google/certificates-academic-institutions/. Details about NASH’s Microcredentials Community of Practice are available at nash.edu/nash-google-microcredentials-partnership/.
