Udacity aims to close the emerging tech talent gap in MENA with localized nanodegrees

Technology is changing at a rapid pace and becoming more deeply ingrained in our lives. From drones and machine learning to self-driving cars and blockchain development, technology continues to transform the way we live and work, while having an immense impact on the jobs landscape.

This impact can be seen throughout the MENA region where modern governments have adopted new technologies and are pushing for tech-driven services and fully fledged smart cities. We also see governments and businesses tapping into youth to lead this tech-driven transformation and not just industry veterans.

Online global education provider, Udacity, aims to capitalize on the new opportunities created by tech innovations and help youths in the MENA region to develop and augment their skills with specialized nanodegrees that take local issues and complexity into account.

Udacity utilizes an online lifelong learning platform that also offers face-to-face Connect Sessions. They collaborate with big tech companies like IBM, Google and Facebook to provide cutting edge nanodegrees that address market demands. This is relevant not only for students who may feel like a good chunk of their university education has become obsolete by the time they graduate. But also a great opportunity for employees to retool their skillset and advance their careers.

What makes Udacity’s nandodegrees unique isn’t the fact that they focus on current tech or that they are offered in Arabic but they are also customized and take into consideration local market intricacies, needs, talents and future growth trajectory.

“Together with our partners, we see an incredible opportunity today in the MENA region,” says Hisham Elaraby, Regional Director MENA, Udacity. “Sixty percent of the population is among the most digitally connected and digitally savvy in the world. Yet, youth unemployment is twice as high as the world average, and the digital economy is currently at 4% of GDP, only half of what it is in the US and other markets. This represents a chance to transform an entire generation - and an entire region - by connecting the desire to learn, with the opportunities to succeed.”