Press Release | Gütersloh, 10/25/2021

‘Boost Your Digital Knowledge’: Bertelsmann Promotes #50000chances Scholarship Initiative Again

• Bertelsmann is giving away 15,000 tech scholarships for the third time; applications are being accepted through November 30, 2021
• TV commercials, print and online ads, social ads, and dedicated landing page create attention for the initiative around the world
• In rounds one and two, Bertelsmann received more than 100,000 applications from 180 countries

Gütersloh, October 25, 2021 – Bertelsmann is once again running an extensive media campaign to promote its #50000chances upskilling initiative, designed to provide people around the world with expertise in emerging technologies. For the third time now, the Group is giving away 15,000 scholarships for courses on the Udacity online learning platform in the fields of cloud, data and artificial intelligence; applications are being accepted through November 30, 2021. Bertelsmann is promoting the initiative with fast-paced TV commercials, print and online ads, social ads, and a dedicated landing page.

The international media, services, and education company’s #50000chances initiative is meant to counteract the shortage of skilled workers in the tech sector. In each of the first two rounds, 15,000 scholarships were offered and advertised worldwide in a media campaign. More than 100,000 applications from 180 countries were received, some 4,000 of them from Bertelsmann employees. The media campaign in 2020 reached more than 34 million people.

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe says: “Getting people around the world excited about digital education is a big concern for us. We want to make them fit for a working world that is changing very quickly due to digitalization. The use of new technologies and big data has become a key factor for economic success not just at Bertelsmann, but in practically every industry.”

The commercials in the new media campaign show a quick succession of people in various places around the world using digital devices and experiencing data management, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence first-hand. The message: find out what the possibilities of the digital future are and become part of technological progress yourself. Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe’s appeal in the print and online ads puts it in a nutshell: “Boost your digital knowledge.”

Karin Schlautmann, Executive Vice President Corporate Communications of Bertelsmann, says: “Our commercials and ad motifs are deliberately designed to spark curiosity, get people excited about progress, and highlight specific opportunities for professional development. This helps equip people around the world with what they need for a successful professional future: digital skills.”

The campaign was again designed with the Bertelsmann subsidiary Territory, and implemented in German and English. A landing page (www.bertelsmann.com/50000chances  ) provides further information. The campaign and scholarship program are being promoted on Bertelsmann’s social media channels under the hashtag #50000chances. Anyone interested has until November 30 to apply at www.udacity.com/bertelsmann-tech-scholarships  .

Udacity – the “University of Silicon Valley” – is a global lifelong learning provider that partners with leading tech companies to develop practical online courses culminating in widely accredited degrees (“nanodegrees”). Bertelsmann is one of the largest shareholders in the Mountain View, California-based company.
For more information: bertelsmann.com/50000chances  , or use the hashtag #50000chances.

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 www.udacity.com  .