Randstad US and Udemy announce new partnership to launch skilling program for American workers

Randstad US is committed to skilling 40,000 U.S. workers by the end of 2020

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Nov 16, 2020, 10:00 ET

ATLANTA, Nov. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Randstad US and Udemy today announced a partnership to offer free educational courses to American workers either already placed or currently looking for roles through Randstad's job network. The partnership focuses on providing access to the skills needed to increase career mobility in primarily technical sectors.

The courses offered by this partnership align with the skills needed for employment in today's most in-demand jobs. These courses span critical business skills, personal development and soft skills. Learning paths focused on technical and exam prep skills include topics like AWS, Cloud, CCSIP, PHP, MEAN, Python, AI, machine learning, CISA, CISM, CEH and more.

"We have partnered with Udemy to ensure that our talent has access to the fresh and high-quality content they need to become and remain employable in the ever-changing job market," said Jennifer Seith, senior vice president of product strategy and innovation at Randstad US. "The pandemic has highlighted the importance of equipping every American with versatile skills that can easily transfer to growth industries, especially in the technology sector. This partnership will allow talent in Randstad's network to focus on enhancing their skills to grow in their current roles and better position themselves for future roles, as well."

At present, the American economy faces a significant skills gap — there are 250,000 fewer data scientists than the country needs, for example — that is expected to cost $1.2 trillion in reduced economic output through 2029 unless employers commit resources to reskilling and upskilling their employees.

Research by Randstad US shows that connecting an employee's current work to potential career growth is a key motivator for completing courses and certifications. In the first two months of the partnership, Randstad US achieved a 54 percent enrollment rate, and participants consumed more than 3,800 hours of course content. Additionally, 18 percent of Randstad talent who participated in upskilling courses have been redeployed within 30 days of completing their most recent assignments.

"Udemy is proud to partner with forward-thinking organizations like Randstad that are directly aligned with our mission to improve lives through learning," said Stephanie Stapleton, vice president of customer success at Udemy. "As the skills required to do nearly every job continue to change, this partnership will provide access to development opportunities that are actionable, dynamic, and meet individuals in their specific moment of need."

The partnership is part of Randstad US' contribution to the Pledge to America's Workers, a national initiative to train and retrain workers in order to translate their skills to more in-demand industries. Through the initiative, Randstad US is committed to skilling 40,000 U.S. workers — and to building a more resilient workforce in a challenging economy exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

About Randstad
Randstad North America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Randstad N.V., a €23.7 billion global provider of flexible work and human resources services. As a trusted human partner in the technology-driven world of talent, we combine the expertise and passion of our employees, with some of the most innovative HR technologies on the market today, to advance the careers and business success of our candidates and clients.

Randstad's North American operations comprise nearly 5,700 associates and a deployed workforce of more than 94,000 in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to staffing and recruitment, Randstad offers outsourcing, consulting and workforce management solutions for generalist and specialist disciplines, including technology, engineering, accounting and finance, clinical and non-clinical healthcare, human resources, legal, life sciences, manufacturing and logistics, office and administration and sales and marketing. Global concepts available to North American client companies include RPO, MSP, integrated talent solutions, payrolling and independent contractor management and career transition services. Learn more at www.randstadusa.com or www.randstad.ca.

About Udemy
With a mission to improve lives through learning, Udemy is the world's largest online learning destination that helps students, businesses, and governments gain the skills they need to compete in today's economy. Thirty-five million students are mastering new skills from 57,000 expert instructors teaching over 130,000 online courses in topics from programming and data science to leadership and team building. For companies, Udemy for Business offers an employee training and development platform with subscription access to 7,000+ courses, learning analytics, as well as the ability to host and distribute their own content. Udemy for Government is designed to upskill workers and prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow. Eighty percent of Fortune 100 companies trust Udemy for employee upskilling. Udemy is privately held and headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Denver, Brazil, India, Ireland, and Turkey. Udemy investors include Insight Partners, Prosus, Norwest Venture Partners, Stripes, and Benesse Holdings.