Udemy, Benesse and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offer Quality Education to SMEs in Tokyo

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Udemy (Nasdaq: UDMY), a leading destination for learning and teaching online, together with Benesse, its long-time partner in Japan, today announced a new program with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to accelerate the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Tokyo.

In collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Udemy and Benesse will support SME growth by providing the most relevant courses on core emerging technologies and skills, creating a one-stop shop for upskilling and reskilling employees as part of the government’s “DX Reskilling Support Project.”

By March 31, 2023, Udemy and Benesse aims to provide up to 500 employees from 250 SMEs located in Tokyo curated education plans to develop various skills needed to drive digital transformation. This includes:

• A "learning curriculum" optimized for each individual based on a skills assessment
• "Case studies" with lecturers who are real-world instructors and practitioners
• A "learner community" together with mentors, colleagues and peers to encourage a culture of effective learning
  

Starting in August 2022, the program will provide courses taught by Japanese instructors in Japanese on diverse topics through the Udemy Business platform, offering corporate customers an employee training and development platform with subscription access to thousands of courses, learning analytics, as well as the ability to host and distribute their own content.

Narrowing skills gaps and training employees amid digital transformation is a top priority for SMEs worldwide, particularly amid today’s uncertain economy.

“It is important to utilize new digital technologies in order to improve business efficiency, attract customers and expand sales channels. Many SMEs today are facing challenges with not knowing how to proceed or having difficulty in training talent in-house,” says Masahiro Nakabayashi, Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs, Tokyo Metropolitan Government. “We launched this project to provide integrated support for SMEs in Tokyo, from developing reskilling plans to providing access to courses on emerging technologies. We look forward to promoting this project together with the Benesse-Udemy team.”

“Markets and business environments are changing rapidly these days, and digital transformation is an important opportunity for Japanese companies,” said Chie Omiya, head of Udemy Business for Government, Benesse. “We’ve worked with more than 800 organizations in Japan in the past, and we are pleased to support SMEs in Tokyo with their learning and reskilling goals alongside the Tokyo government. Udemy and Benesse continue to provide a wide range of courses on cutting-edge skills to help companies and municipalities develop DX skills and solve business challenges.”

Udemy and Benesse are accelerating the partnership with several local Japanese governments, including collaboration with Tottori Prefecture, where local companies and job seekers are provided access to online IT skills training.

To learn more, visit https://www.benesse.co.jp/udemy/government/.

About Benesse
Benesse Group is guided by a corporate philosophy of “Benesse = Well-Being.” Benesse conducts business in the fields of domestic and global education, senior nursing care and childcare, and gives customers the support to make the best lifestyle choices – the ones that lead to the long-term betterment of their lives. In the 60 plus years since the founding in 1955, Benesse has accumulated knowledge in the fields of education and senior nursing care and has provided such services by developing close ties to the customers.

About Udemy
Udemy (Nasdaq: UDMY) provides flexible, effective skill development to empower organizations and individuals. The Udemy marketplace platform, with thousands of up-to-date courses in dozens of languages, offers the tools learners, instructors, and enterprises need to achieve their goals and reach their full potential. Millions of people learn on Udemy from real-world experts in topics ranging from programming and data science to leadership and team building. Udemy Business offers corporate customers an employee training and development platform with subscription access to thousands of courses, learning analytics, and the ability to host and distribute their own content. Udemy Business customers include Fender Instruments, Glassdoor, GoFundMe, On24, The World Bank, and Volkswagen. Udemy is headquartered in San Francisco with hubs in Ankara, Turkey; Austin, Texas; Boston, Massachusetts; Mountain View, California; Denver, Colorado; Dublin, Ireland; Melbourne, Australia; New Delhi, India; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Media Contact
Risha Tyagi
Global Public Relations Manager, Udemy
risha.tyagi@udemy.com