Digital skills training might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Mardi Gras, but it was top of mind for more than 100 LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses who attended the Accelerate Digital Garage skills training event at the Google office in Sydney today.

The workshop, timed to coincide with this weekend’s Sydney Mardi Gras celebrations, brought together small business owners and operators to help them gain the digital skills they need to make the most of the web.

Partnering with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association, we delivered training on getting started with digital marketing and showcased a range of digital tools, including our free online skills training platform The Digital Garage.

Google Australia Managing Director, Jason Pellegrino spoke at the event about the benefits of seeking diverse perspectives and building inclusive teams, for businesses both big and small.

Above: Google’s Yash Godbole; Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy, Hon Ed Husic MP; Google Australia Managing Director, Jason Pellegrino; Google’s Cecelia Herbert; Google's VP Asia Pacific Operations, Karim Temsamani; and Google’s Renee La Briola.

We were also joined by Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy, Hon Ed Husic MP, a strong advocate for businesses getting online. He spoke about the importance of inclusion to create thriving communities and economies and said it’s important all businesses have access to the skills and tools they need to grow.

Getting online can have huge benefits for Australian businesses. Research by Deloitte shows highly digitally engaged small businesses are more likely to be growing revenue, creating jobs and exporting, yet more than 90 per cent of small businesses are not taking full advantage of today’s digital tools.

Above: Small business owners and operators taking part in the digital skills training at Google Offices in Sydney.

At Google, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to succeed online, that’s why we developed The Digital Garage and why we are hosting events for small businesses, just like today’s, all around Australia.

And don’t worry, it wasn’t all work at today’s event. There were also plenty of opportunities for businesses to meet and share ideas - no doubt those conversations will continue well into the weekend!

Posted by Richard Flanagan, Head of SMB Marketing, Google Australia