The Google bus is coming: Roadshow heads to Sunderland's Beacon of Light for final stop

The Beacon of Light is the final final stop for the Google bus in a tour of 30 locations around the North East.

The free workshop, which runs between 9am and 4.20pm on Saturday August 3, will cover training topics such as marketing, social media, CV and cover letter advice and help to stay safe online.

The training courses offered at the Beacon of Light will include: how to build a CV, Writing a Cover Letter, how to create a social media strategy and how to build a digital marketing plan. Free face-to-face coaching on a 1:1 basis will also be offered for people with any level of experience; from advice on taking the first steps online, to building your personal brand on the internet.

As a flagship investment programme for Google UK, in just three years the Google Digital Garage has trained over 300,000 people in over 500 UK locations. The Google Digital Garage bus is a mobile training hub with expert trainers and mentors on-board delivering free digital skills training which has contributed significantly to these figures. Google is partnering with local organisations, such as the Foundation of Light, Sunderland BID, Good Things Foundation and DWP to bring the bus to local communities and businesses.

The bus tour is part of a wider presence Google now has in Sunderland. In May 2019, Google opened a new digital skills training hub at The Bridges Shopping Centre in Sunderland as part of a major investment to help boost digital skills throughout the UK and the North East in particular.

In the North East, 50% of SMEs agree that the digital skills gap between the skills businesses need to compete in the digital economy and the talent available in the workforce is growing. Google’s free training sessions aim to close this skills gap and help grow the confidence, careers and success of individuals and small business throughout the UK.