Impacting employers

The OpenClassrooms mission is two-fold: Make Education Accessible means equipping individuals with up-to-date competencies and skills, but also fostering career progress and opening new professional perspectives to people from all backgrounds - especially to those who, for one reason or another, may encounter difficulties when looking for a job. 

This also yields benefits for employers. With OpenClassrooms, employers gain access to an untapped and expansive pool of diverse talent. This includes individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, as well as those who have undergone a comprehensive reskilling process at some point in their careers.

In early 2023, OpenClassrooms conducted a comprehensive survey among 3,000 of its students, with the following results:

This data provided us with meaningful insights about how our graduates can contribute to creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce. It’s also a testament to the intelligence and resilience of our students.

In recent years, OpenClassrooms has increasingly focused on the development of apprenticeship programs. Typically fully funded, these programs seamlessly integrate real-life experience with online training, playing a vital role in making education accessible.

While the apprenticeship model itself is effective in creating learning and career advancement opportunities, access to apprenticeships remains challenging for both employers and prospective apprentices. In some countries or regions, apprenticeships may not exist at all, or may be limited to blue-collar jobs. In other regions where the model is prevalent, administrative obstacles still complicate access.

In France, 44% of apprentices have encountered difficulties in finding a suitable position, while 34% of surveyed employers have opted to stop recruiting apprentices due to sourcing or administrative challenges. 

To facilitate access to the apprenticeship talent pool for employers, OpenClassrooms has developed a seamless recruitment process by creating a thoroughly automatized, 100% online talent marketplace. Employers looking for apprentices now have direct access to an online platform with a large pool of candidates. Similarly, candidates have the ability to apply with just a few clicks, streamlining the entire process. 

Offering an easy and straightforward access to a diverse pool of candidates is an important aspect of accessible education. Another crucial step is to ensure that employers also have access to the right competencies when recruiting candidates.

In that perspective, OpenClassrooms advocates for a shift towards skills-based hiring, rather than relying solely on credentials and diplomas in recruitment practices. According to a large survey conducted by Generations among 1,325 employers in Europe, the United States and South America, employers who opted to recruit based on skills rather than diplomas experienced a 58% increase in the number of applications. Additionally, 84% of employers reported no difference between individuals recruited based on skills and those recruited based on diplomas.

One of the key pillars of the OpenClassrooms mission is to provide access to education and employment to a more diverse and enriched pool of individuals. As a result, thanks to OpenClassrooms, employers gain access to competencies and experiences that were previously difficult to source and hire. 

Discover the inspiring journeys of Fanny and Tamia, apprentices in France and the United States. Below is an excerpt of their stories, but you can read more on blog.openclassrooms.com.