OpenClassrooms Expands U.S. Offerings Through New Apprenticeship Program with Merck

The education company was recently recognized as a Registered Apprenticeship program by the U.S. Department of Labor.

OpenClassrooms, a mission-driven global leader in online education-to-employment programs,announced the launch of an apprenticeship program with Merck, a research-intensive biopharmaceutical company that is known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada.

OpenClassrooms and Merck, with the support of talent placement firm Year Up Professional Resources (YUPRO), have recruited a group of individuals from highly diverse backgrounds to participate in year one of the program. This first cohort, which consists entirely of skilled talent without a four-year college degree, is enrolled in a 12-month, tech-focused practicum, designed to prepare them for careers in growing fields such as data analytics and digital marketing.

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Upon completing the apprenticeship program, apprentices will receive an industry-recognized certificate and potentially a job offer from Merck. In addition, OpenClassrooms has committed to providing graduates with a differentiated experience, including ongoing mentorship, coaching and support as they embark on their career paths and adjust to new roles in the workplace.

“I’m overjoyed that OpenClassrooms is partnering with a best-in-class company like Merck to execute our continued mission of making education accessible to everyone, everywhere,” said Pierre Dubuc, co-founder and CEO of OpenClassrooms. “Companies need to find talent for hard-to-fill, in-demand professional positions. Students in underserved groups need the tools to succeed in today’s digital world. These apprenticeships will create upward economic and professional mobility for students and return on investment for businesses. Our many years of experience offering apprenticeships in the EU and Africa, coupled with the use of learning technologies and a solid pedagogical model, have positioned us for success.”

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“We firmly believe that apprenticeships, and other skills-first approaches to hiring, are essential to not only strengthening our business, but advancing society as a whole,” said Myriam Exumé, executive director of Digital Customer Engagement for Merck. “As a company, we are unified around a shared purpose, which is to save and improve lives around the world, and the benefits of a skills-first approach wield the power to do both.”

Merck’s apprenticeship programs are one of several talent strategies that the company deploys to increase access to diverse, high-potential talent, and fuel innovation and business impact. Merck and OpenClassrooms’ partnership began through their mutual membership in OneTen, a coalition of more than 70 companies and 100 talent developers committed to upskilling, hiring, promoting and advancing one million Black individuals without a four-year college degree into family-sustaining careers over the next 10 years.

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