Google announced plans this week to invest more than $300 million in Virginia this year. The investment is part of Google’s nationwide commitment to invest $9.5 billion in offices and data centers in the U.S. this year. Locally, the funds are expected to be split between Google’s two existing data centers in Loudoun County and its 115,000-square-foot Reston Station office.
“Google’s offices and data centers provide vital anchors to our local communities and help us contribute to their economies. As we embrace more flexibility in how we work, we believe it’s more important than ever to invest in our campuses and that doing so will make for better products, a greater quality of life for our employees and stronger communities,” Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said in a statement.
The $9.5 billion investment is expected to create 12,000 new full-time jobs at Google by the end of the year as well as thousands more for local suppliers, partners and communities that work with the tech giant. Not only will this help local tech talent find work, it could also fuel new jobs in other sectors as well. According to a study by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, every high-technology job created locally generates more than four non-tech jobs.
Google also announced plans to donate $250,000 to CodeVA, a Richmond nonprofit that help increase computer science literacy. The grant will primarily be used to expand Virginia’s Computer Science Hub Network and serve as foundational support for the development of lab school constellations focused on computer science education.
“Google’s investment and partnership announcement is a timely and exciting development for the Commonwealth. Code with Google and CodeVA will prepare the next generation of Virginia’s students for careers in computer science,” Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. “As governor, I am committed to creating workforce development opportunities, expanding our computer science opportunities for Virginia’s students and reestablishing high expectations in education. Now the general assembly must act to move forward with lab schools to maximize the potential of the partnerships announced today for the benefit of Virginia’s students.”
Reston isn’t the only D.C.-area city to receive investment from Google. Last month, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the tech company launched a $1 million tech jobs training grant which will give 250 D.C. residents scholarships for the Google Career Certificate training program. The grant will be used to expand Community College Prep’s IT Pathways program, which aims to help people without a degree enter the tech industry.
