Press Release | Gütersloh, 10/05/2021

50,000 Tech Talents: Bertelsmann Scholarship Program Enters Final Round

• Launch of third and final round of Bertelsmann-sponsored Udacity Technology Scholarship Program
• Interested parties from all over the world can now apply for one of 15,000 scholarships in the fields of cloud, data and artificial intelligence.
• More than 105,000 people applied for the 30,000 places in the first two rounds

Bertelsmann is starting the third and final round of the Udacity Technology Scholarship Program as part of its “#50000Chances” digital initiative by providing a further 15,000 tech scholarships. Interested parties from all over the world can now apply online at udacity.com/bertelsmann-tech-scholarships  for one of the scholarships in the fields of cloud, data and artificial intelligence. Over a period of three years, the international media, services and education company has offered a total of 50,000 scholarships for courses in the emerging fields of cloud, data and artificial intelligence on the Udacity online education platform. With its initiative, Bertelsmann is helping to meet the growing demand for qualified specialists with tech skills at all levels, both globally and within its own group. The scholarships involve the awarding of introductory “Challenge” courses, followed by in-depth “Nanodegree” courses in which, as in previous years, around ten percent of “Challenge” course graduates can participate. The application phase will be accompanied by an extensive image campaign.

Thomas Rabe, Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, says: “Tech-based business models are developing ever faster; as a result,the need for skilled workers in this area is increasing massively. Bertelsmann believes it has a responsibility to provide access to online learning opportunities in the tech fields of cloud, data and artificial intelligence to as many people as possible. The overwhelming response to the first two rounds of our scholarship program encourages us to once again inspire thousands of people to ‘up’ their technology skills.”

Udacity is a learning platform that works with leading tech companies to develop practice-relevant online courses and curricula. Bertelsmann, through Bertelsmann Education Group, is one of the largest shareholders and a strategic partner of the Silicon Valley-based company. In the first two rounds of the Udacity scholarship program, more than 105,000 people from all parts of the world had applied for the 30,000 places available to date. Around 4,000 of the applications came from Bertelsmann employees. A “Nanodegree” degree from Udacity is exceedingly recognized by many global tech companies.

Interested parties can choose one of three subject areas: Data (with the Nanodegree course “Business Analytics,” suitable for beginners without prior knowledge); Artificial Intelligence (with the Nanodegree course “Intro to Machine Learning with Tensor Flow,” for advanced students with prior knowledge); and Cloud (with the Nanodegree course “Azure Cloud Architect”, for experts with advanced prior knowledge). The “Challenge” courses offered by Udacity in this third round last two months and, with a time commitment of two to four hours per week, can be easily managed on a part-time basis.

More information about the Udacity Technology Scholarship Program is posted at udacity.com/bertelsmann-tech-scholarships  . This is also where applications can be submitted from now through November 30. The first courses start in December.

Application: www.udacity.com/bertelsmann-tech-scholarships 

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato, the Bertelsmann Printing Group, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company has around 130,000 employees and generated revenues of €17.3 billion in the 2020 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world. Bertelsmann aspires to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. In 2021, Bertelsmann commemorates the 100th birthday of Reinhard Mohn, the Group's late post-war founder and longtime Chairman and CEO.

About Udacity
Udacity is a global lifelong learning provider connecting education to jobs and providing students with skills to advance careers. Its mission is to train the world’s workforce in the careers of the future. Udacity Nanodegree® programs provide credentials earned through a series of online courses and real-world projects in an array of subjects from self-driving cars and AI to data science and digital marketing. Udacity collaborates with more than 200 global employer-partners to close talent gaps. Its investors include Bertelsmann, Andreessen Horowitz, Charles River Ventures and Drive Capital. For more information, please visit udacity.com  .