Robin Goist, cleveland.com

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AKRON, Ohio – More than 100 people attended a free digital-skills workshop hosted by Google on Wednesday at the Akron-Summit County Public Library in downtown Akron.

Akron was one of three Ohio cities, along with Columbus and Lima, selected for the Grow with Google workshops for small business owners, jobseekers and nonprofit professionals.

The tech giant announced plans late last year to bring Grow with Google to more communities by going on a tour of public libraries in all 50 states. In addition to the workshops, the free tools are available at google.com/grow.

“Grow with Google is our economic opportunity initiative that helps people grow their business, find a job or grow a career,” Erica Swanson, head of community engagement for Grow with Google, said Wednesday.

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Robin Goist, cleveland.com

Erica Swanson, head of community engagement for Grow with Google, speaks at a workshop on March 20, 2019, at the downtown library.

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“Across the state of Ohio in the year 2017, 35,000 small businesses and publishers used Google tools to grow,” Swanson said. “With the support of these Google tools… these small businesses delivered $4.9 billion of economic activity across the state of Ohio.”

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Robin Goist, cleveland.com

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The first workshop for business owners focused on reaching customers online through search engine optimization, content marketing and social media marketing.

Another session explored how to create or update businesses’ listings on Google Maps and Google Search, including how to make a free website using the “Google My Business” service.

An interactive workshop showed participants how to use Gmail, Google Sheets and Google Slides.

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Robin Goist, cleveland.com

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Throughout the day, one-on-one coaching was available to provide personalized assistance in expanding a business or career online. Participants could spend about 20 minutes with a "Googler coach," an expert in Google ads, analytics, Google My Business, Gmail, Google Calendar and the "G Suite" of Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms.

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Robin Goist, cleveland.com

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“Small business growth is significant for the city of Akron,” Mayor Dan Horrigan told a room of workshop participants, adding that about 50,000 people come to downtown Akron to work or go to school.

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Robin Goist, cleveland.com

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“There’s a global job market out there that continues to evolve, and Akron remains a central hub for employment,” Horrigan said of a city widely-known for manufacturing. “But the jobs of the 21st century are going to be increasingly based on technology and require some sort of digital competency.”

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U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge also spoke at the event Wednesday about the importance of digital literacy.

“All of us know that you cannot survive – whether you’re a business, a nonprofit, a library or anything else in this country – without knowing something about being digital,” Fudge said.

The congresswoman also reminded the audience of Northeast Ohio’s economic potential, saying, “Google would not be here if they did not think this was fertile ground.”

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Robin Goist, cleveland.com

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan, U.S. Rep Marcia Fudge and Akron-Summit County Public Library Director Pam Hickson-Stevenson

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As of 3 p.m., more than 140 people had attended the event, which runs until 5:30 p.m., according to an Akron-Summit County Public Library spokeswoman.

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Robin Goist, cleveland.com

Akron-Summit County Public Library Director Pam Hickson-Stevenson speaks at a Grow with Google workshop on March 20, 2019, at the downtown library.