Simplilearn Solutions, a Bengaluru-based education start-up which offers online courses for IT professionals, is looking to focus on expanding its tie-up with corporates and is working toward offering guaranteed interviews after the completion of courses.
The company has a paid online education model where it offers courses mainly focused on upskilling. The firm offers courses across categories like digital marketing, big data, data sciences, cloud, IT security, mobile, project and process management.
Guaranteed interviews “One of the projects we are working towards this year is offering guaranteed interviews. This means we make sure those completing our courses would get interview calls,” Kashyap Dalal, Chief Business Officer, Simplilearn said.
However, he said that the firm would stay away from offering job guarantees. “Job guarantees may turn out as a poor marketing gimmick, because there are lot of fly by night operators”.
Six years back, the firm’s founder Krishna Kumar started a personal blog during the financial crisis in 2009, where he posted free video lessons and practice tests. That idea has now emerged as a firm employing over 500 people training more than 5,00,000 professionals globally.
Job ready “Our courses result into a certification and makes consumers job ready,” said Mr. Dalal.
For instance, if someone wants to become Android certified by Google, they can take course in the platform which teaches the skill as well how to write the Android exam certified by Google. “We have focused on offering courses in areas which have seen the most job growth in the last four years like data sciences, digital marketing and app development,” said Mr. Dalal.
The company adopts a differentiated pricing strategy for different regions. “The course fee range from Rs.5, 000-30,000 in India and $250-$1000 in the U.S.”
He also said that the advantages of the paid model is that the firm is able to make quick changes and updates to the courses as per the emerging trends, which is difficult to do in a free education model.
Simplilearn said its completion rates are at 70 per cent and that is because it measures completion rates on the basis of those who take the test and get the certification.
The firm is backed by slew of venture firms including Mayfield Fund and Helion Venture Partners.
Corrections & Clarifications:
A previous version of this report stated in a line that the firm employing over 500 people is training more than 50,000 professionals globally. It is actually 5,00,000 professionals.
