Randstad US and Udemy Form Alliance
November 25, 2020 – Randstad US and Udemy have partnered to offer free educational courses to American workers either already placed or currently looking for roles through Randstad’s job network. The alliance focuses on providing access to the skills needed to increase career mobility in primarily technical sectors.
“We have partnered with Udemy to ensure that our talent has access to the fresh and high-quality content they need to become and remain employable in the ever-changing job market,” said Jennifer Seith, senior vice president of product strategy and innovation at Randstad US. “The pandemic has highlighted the importance of equipping every American with versatile skills that can easily transfer to growth industries, especially in the technology sector. This partnership will allow talent in Randstad’s network to focus on enhancing their skills to grow in their current roles and better position themselves for future roles, as well.”
The courses offered by this partnership align with the skills needed for employment in today’s most in-demand jobs. These courses span business skills, personal development and soft skills. Learning paths focused on technical and exam prep skills include topics like AWS, cloud, CCSIP, PHP, MEAN, Python, AI, machine learning, CISA, CISM, CEH and more.
The American economy is facing a significant skills gap — there are 250,000 fewer data scientists than the country needs, for example — that is expected to cost $1.2 trillion in reduced economic output through 2029 unless employers commit resources to reskilling and upskilling their employees, according to a recent Randstad report.
In addition, research by Randstad US shows that connecting an employee’s current work to potential career growth is a key motivator for completing courses and certifications. In the first two months of the partnership, Randstad US achieved a 54 percent enrollment rate, and participants consumed more than 3,800 hours of course content. Additionally, 18 percent of Randstad talent who participated in upskilling courses have been redeployed within 30 days of completing their most recent assignments.
“Udemy is proud to partner with forward-thinking organizations like Randstad that are directly aligned with our mission to improve lives through learning,” said Stephanie Stapleton, vice president of customer success at Udemy. “As the skills required to do nearly every job continue to change, this partnership will provide access to development opportunities that are actionable, dynamic, and meet individuals in their specific moment of need.”
The partnership is part of Randstad US’ contribution to the Pledge to America’s Workers, a national initiative to train and retrain workers in order to translate their skills to more in-demand industries. Through the initiative, Randstad US is committed to skilling 40,000 U.S. workers — and to building a more resilient workforce in a challenging economy exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recent Leadership Changes
Randstad North America recently named Bob Lopes as its new chief human resources officer. He is based out of the company’s Tampa, FL, office. “We are very fortunate to have Bob bring his expertise to the Randstad North America leadership team,” said Karen Fichuk, CEO of Randstad North America and Randstad N.V. executive board member. “His depth of experience across the HR consulting industry and Randstad Sourceright, combined with his strong operational skills and passion for talent strategy and building inclusive, high performance workplace cultures, will be invaluable to driving the people strategy for our company.”
Randstad Sourceright recently appointed current EMEA managing director Michael Smith to the role of global CEO of Randstad Sourceright. He will assume the duties of current CEO Rebecca Henderson, effective Jan. 1. Mr. Smith has 15 years of experience in the talent acquisition industry, working in operational and leadership roles across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. He currently manages the dual responsibilities of leading Randstad Sourceright EMEA and the Randstad UK operating company out of his post in Amsterdam.
To replace Mr. Smith in Randstad UK’s office, Victoria Short will become the CEO of Randstad UK, effective Jan.1. Ms. Short began her career with Randstad over 20 years ago in Randstad’s business support division in the U.K. After almost a decade growing this business, she oversaw the Randstad care and student support businesses, later expanding her leadership to include the education portfolio.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
