OpenClassrooms, the Paris-based online vocational education provider, has launched its first full degree taught in English and is also in the process of developing career services mentoring for its degree students.
The bachelor’s degree in front end web development, launched in the UK, is also available in French and will be offered in Spanish in a few months.
As with the platform’s existing degrees, the online course is endorsed by the French government and it is recognised in 29 countries.
“50k to 100k developers are needed right now in the UK, same in France, same in Germany, same in Spain”
The course is modular, with ongoing support from a mentor working in the field, and over the duration of the degree, students will build up a portfolio of work that they can then show prospective employers.
The majority of students are expected to complete the degree in 12 months, but the flexible design means they can take longer or shorter according to how much help they need.
Students pay for the degree according to the time it takes them to complete the course, rather than per module. At £300 a month, this means students who take a year to finish the degree will pay £3,600.
“The needs of every student are different. The amount of mentoring, workload, is different for every student,” OpenClassrooms co-founder Pierre Dubuc told The PIE News.
“We think it’s normal that there’s some kind of flexibility on the price as well.”
The company chose web development as the field of study because it is in huge demand from employers, which the company consults with regularly to see where it can fill skills gaps.
“We need thousands and thousands of developers. Probably 50k to 100k developers are needed right now in the UK, same in France, same in Germany, same in Spain,” Dubuc said.
OpenClassrooms does not have a target number of students it aims to reach, but Dubuc estimated it could have as many as 3,000 enrollees within two years.
Alongside its degree programmes, OpenClassrooms is also developing dedicated career services to help its students transition to employment. Students will receive one-on-one mentorship from industry practitioners and help developing key skills to equip them for their job search.
“We’re going to teach you how to search for a job, write your resume, contact companies, how to behave in an interview,” Dubuc explained.
This is OpenClassrooms’ seventh full degree course, and there are several more in the pipeline, including a French-language data science programme due to launch at the end of the year.
The announcement comes two months after the platform announced it had raised €6m to fund its continued expansion.
Read our full interview with Pierre Dubuc here.
