The Bertelsmann’s “Employee Scholarship Program” offers the Group’s employees around the world the chance at one of more than 1,000 scholarships for the online education providers Udacity or Coursera. The courses are designed to teach tech & data skills. You still have the opportunity to apply until November 30!
Would you like to receive first-hand information?
We spoke to a few participants from the last round who shared their experiences and opinions on the scholarship with us.
Mahran Sarko, RTL Deutschland, Udacity participant
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The ambition to sharpen my skills and a strong motivation to learn were the inspiration and driving force behind my decision to enroll in the Bertelsmann Scholarship program. The added benefit of applying what I learn to my daily job tasks was the cherry on top.” He feels that taking a course that culminated in a nanodegree, which is very well regarded in the IT industry, was well worth it: “The practical aspect of the nanodegree proved to be immensely valuable, as it not only reinforced newly acquired concepts but also ingrained this knowledge into my memory,” Sarko continues. He says this enabled him to leverage the acquired knowledge to enhance his proficiency in handling new job-related tasks.
Sophia Sobanski, Riverty, Udacity participant
“I wanted to challenge myself and put more focus onto learning something new,” she says, explaining her motivation for applying for a course at Udacity. “I really enjoyed learning back in my university days, so I thought the Nanodegree in a university-like setting would be a pleasant experience.” And her expectations were fully met: “I enjoyed working though the different lectures,” she reports, adding, “I really liked the helpful exchange with the tutors and other students. I also think that having predefined deadlines for the projects helped me a lot in keeping up with the studying.” After completing the Nanodegree course, she says, she has a better understanding of what actually happens in database queries and is able to formulate more sophisticated queries as a result.
Eric Epp, Arvato Systems, Coursera participant
“Once I got a hold of the platform and its possibilities, I quickly fell in love with it and am to this day regularly using it to expand my knowledge in the field of IT. I really like that there are full courses for specific positions and fields directly created/designed or approved by big tech leaders like IBM, Meta, and Google. It provides credibility for the content of the courses and motivates to complete them in order to receive an official certificate that is approved or signed in the name of the big player.” Epp also gives favorable mention to the knowledge point system for specific areas. “You improve your score with every quiz in a course and Bertelsmann provides you with a set of scores which you should aim to achieve for your specific job position.” He says that the Bertelsmann’s scholarship enabled him to elevate faster from his junior role, to act as an interface between the Frontend/Backend/Operations team and learn things which he would not have on his daily job. “I am sure that this added knowledge will open many more doors for me in the future, within and outside of my position at Bertelsmann,” he concludes.
Eszter Ökrös, RTL Hungary, Coursera participant
“I really liked the possibility that I could do so much for free, from the comfort of my home, and learn at any time without restrictions. I could try my hand at a lot of things and that is why I am very grateful to this scholarship program.” In the available Coursera course catalogue she found data analytics courses that really sparked her interest in the topic. She can even imagine devoting her career going forward. "I became more confident that I have gained more diverse knowledge. This course helped me improve in my current position as well. I feel that I can approach a new challenge in a completely different way,” she emphasizes. “I have new implementation possibilities and new ideas.” She no longer just sees the “narrow part” that she works with every day, but a bigger picture. All in all, the courses have made it easier for her to find the direction she wants to take in the future.
Not quite convinced yet?
Have a look at the landing page for the Employee Scholarship for more information about the providers and the program itself:
24-10-2023
Employee Scholarship Program: ‘Seize The Opportunity Now’
Applications for the second round of the “Employee Scholarship Program” have been open since September 27. As a Bertelsmann employee, you have until November 30 to apply for one of 1,000 scholarship seats with the online education providers Udacity or Coursera (read more). The courses are designed to impart skills tech & data skills, to help employees get fit for the future.
The content and scope of this program go beyond a conventional upskilling initiative – and it has a special significance for Bertelsmann’s businesses, too, as Sebastian Hentzschel, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of BMG, points out.
“Leveraging and data is a prerequisite for successfully executing our business strategy,” explains Hentzschel. “Our ‘Employee Scholarship Program’ offers employees an opportunity to acquire and expand the skills needed in this area. This allows BMG to better address the needs and requirements of customers – in our case, artists and songwriters – while providing valuable insights and data for digital services on streaming platforms.” So the scholarship initiative not only promotes individual growth and professional development, but also helps to increase the company’s success and growth, emphasizes the BMG COO. “I therefore encourage each and every employee from Bertelsmann’s various divisions to seize this opportunity and apply for a scholarship.”
The Employee Scholarship Program comprises a total of 400 courses with the online education provider Udacity and 600 annual licenses for the online learning platform Coursera, you can apply for. How cool is that?. Behind all of the programs is the fact that tech & data skills have become indispensable in the modern working world - and we are sure. They'll become even more important in the future!
A little Example
Almost every work process, from email communications to project coordination using online tools, depends on the Internet. And just as it is almost impossible to perform daily tasks without a stable Internet connection, it is becoming increasingly difficult to succeed in a business context without solid tech and data skills.
Wit the Employee Scholarship Program we are aiming to provide employees with the necessary skills in these areas as well as making Bertelsmann more competitive overall and more attractive to tech and data-savvy talents. For this reason, it is important that as many employees as possible acquire and build up skills in these fields. So boost your skills now!
And how do the various study programs differ?
Udacity is the right provider for you, if you're looking to learn to actually apply the new skills in your business projects at work. For some of the courses, some basic prior knowledge is required, while others are suitable for beginners as well. Over the course of seven months, participants will study part-time to gain skills in several tech and data topics that are particularly important for Bertelsmann. A nanodegree is awarded for successful completion, a certificate that is recognized throughout the industry and internationally.
The courses on offer are:
- “Agile Software Development”
- “AI Programming with Python”
- “Enterprise Security”
- “Data Product Manager”
- “Data Engineering with Azure".
At Coursera, you would have the opportunity to access an entire the learning platform for a year. Coursera offers courses from renowned universities and is therefore more suitable for “academically” oriented individuals. Many of the courses last about six weeks. Some build on another, but you can choose. Participants receive a certificate upon successful completion to demonstrate that they have acquired the skills in question. The platform offers course paths custom-curated for Bertelsmann in the tech and data sector, as well as courses in many other subject areas, such as “business acumen.”
Any further information can be found in the recording of the info session about the employee scholarship Program - you can find it on peoplenet.