Ex-Google employees form virtual tech ‘school’ for gap year students amid college closures – CNBC
- Current and former Google employees are forming an online program aimed at preparing students for the workforce if they’re taking time off school due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- It comes as many college students defer school as universities shift learning models to mostly online amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Google execs past and present have volunteered to mentor college students on topics ranging from career trajectory to how to stand out in virtual Zoom interviews.
As James Cashen approached his fall semester at Cornell University amid the global coronavirus pandemic, it turned out that most of his classes would be conducted online, leaving him wondering if tuition was even worth it this year.
“Me and my friends were figuring out how do we navigate this time where we do want to go back to school and get a degree but don’t want to pay full tuition,” Cashen told CNBC in an interview. “I also know I didn’t want to just sit around.”
Cashen is among the estimated 40% of students nationwide who are considering taking time off this year, as universities across the countries switch to mostly online models because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The high cost of a bachelor’s degree has strained students and parents, who are demanding reduced fees and tuition, while universities struggle to find models that are both safe and equitable to the social college experience.