Bertelsmann opens applications for its “Udacity Data Science Scholarship Program

Bertelsmann opens applications for its “Udacity Data Science Scholarship Program

• 15,000 scholarships for innovative Udacity online courses
• Top 1,500 students receive one of three Nanodegree programs with the online education platform
• Applications accepted until April 22, 2018
• Joint initiative with Google and Udacity recognized by EU Commission

Gütersloh, Germany, 24-Jan-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — Bertelsmann continues to advocate for the training of IT talent. The international media, services and education company is now inviting interested parties to apply for its “Udacity Data Science Scholarship Program,” in which the company will fund 15,000 three-month Udacity online courses in descriptive statistics. The top 1,500 graduates will earn one of three full Nanodegree programs offered by the digital learning platform.

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe says: “Bertelsmann is becoming more and more digital, so promoting digital skills is one of our top priorities. Data Science is particularly important for many of our digital businesses, and we are very pleased to be offering 15,000 scholarships. Together with our partners Google and Udacity, we are thus attempting to counter the shortage of specialists in the technology sector.”

Applications are now open at www.udacity.com/bertelsmann-data-scholarships  and will close on April 22, 2018. Scholarship recipients will be selected in May 2018, and start the online course shortly thereafter. Depending on their prior knowledge of statistics, mathematics and computer science, participants should plan on investing between 5 and 10 hours per week over a period of three months. The course is designed for both beginners and advanced students. At the end of the first phase of the scholarship program, the top 1,500 students can go on to earn a full Udacity Nanodegree credential, either in “Data Foundations,” “Business Analyst,” or “Data Analyst.”

“At Udacity, we partner with top employers like Google, Amazon and Facebook to build our Nanodegree programs, credentials backed and built by industry and designed to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow,” says Udacity founder and president Sebastian Thrun. “Together with Bertelsmann, we’ve now created an online learning pathway that opens up countless career opportunities. The global demand for qualified employees with advanced data analytics skills has never been higher, and successful graduates of our program will emerge job-ready in the field.”

The scholarships are part of a joint initiative by Bertelsmann, Google, and Udacity to promote digital skills both in Europe and globally. The companies announced a total of 75,000 scholarships last year. The project was recognized with a “European Digital Skills Award” by Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society in December.

Bertelsmann is one of Udacity’s largest strategic shareholders.

To apply and learn more please visit: www.udacity.com/bertelsmann-data-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 116,000 employees and generated revenues of €17.0 billion in the 2016 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.

About Udacity
Udacity works with industry leaders to create project-based online learning programs. These unique collaborations ensure that students learn the technology skills that employers value most. Udacity offers courses in mobile and web development and data science, as well as virtual reality, artificial intelligence or self-driving car engineering.  In addition to 150 free courses, Udacity offers 21 flagship Nanodegree programs. Udacity’s Nanodegree program are built with, and recognised by, industry leaders like Google, Facebook or Amazon and feature hiring partnerships with global innovators such as IBM Watson, Mercedes-Benz and SAP. Udacity is headquartered in Mountain View, California with international offices in Sao Paulo, Berlin, New Delhi and Shanghai. To learn more, please visit udacity.com.

SOURCE: Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA

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