Global edtech company upGrad has announced online learning programs for UAE professionals that are designed to accelerate careers and grow regional businesses. Across the region, digitalization has impacted sectors from retail and banking, to logistics and energy; creating new jobs and making others obsolete.
A recent Global Ventures report on the Middle East and Africa region forecasts that 75 million jobs are expected to be displaced in the coming years, with digitalization predicted to create 133 million unique jobs. Over the next two years, more than a quarter (28%) of UAE talent will require upskilling, according to a KPMG report, with nearly half the core skills required to perform existing jobs expected to change or made obsolete by technology.
upGrad programs are reverse engineered to meet evolving job demands across industry sectors. With programs in future-focused sectors such as data sciences, blockchain, machine learning and AI, upGrad’s curriculum is up to date, industry-relevant and engaging. This is underscored by a course completion rate of over 90%, the highest in online learning. upGrad collaborates with world-class universities to design the curriculum, supplementing it with industry experts to make it more relevant. As a result, learners are job ready once they complete their courses – as evidenced by the increase in career transitions upGrad has facilitated despite the pandemic.
Ronnie Screwvala, Co-founder and Chairman, upGrad, said: “We founded upGrad to bridge the urgent demand for affordable, accessible, available and relevant quality education. Leveraging our international technology platform, based on deep learning and high-touch counselling, we have generated positive and tangible career outcomes for more than a million professionals globally. Now, we look forward to supporting professionals in the UAE as they pivot to new career paths and take charge of their own future.”
Saranjit Sangar, CEO – EMEA, upGrad, added: “Upskilling empowers talent with the freedom of opportunity and the tools to adapt to a changing world. It promotes social mobility and inclusion, which are aligned with the UAE’s prioritization of residents’ wellbeing and happiness. We look forward to being a catalyst for growth and prosperity, upskilling UAE talent for tomorrow’s careers, as envisioned by national agendas such as the UAE Vision 2050 and The National AI Strategy 2031.”
upGrad’s robust, results-driven model is built on the four pillars of content, deep personalization, technology and career outcomes. upGrad is looking to scale up operations to achieve a revenue goal of USD 2 billion by 2026, thereby reinforcing its position as a global higher-edtech leader. In FY20-21, upGrad crossed the milestone of $14m revenue in a month and achieved an Annual Revenue Run rate (ARR) of $165m. The edtech major now targets 25% revenue growth in the next quarter (April-May-June) with profitability in sight.
