Deliveroo : Singapore boosts efforts to upskill and train its riders, targets up to 1,000 participants by year end

• The company's expanded learning initiative includes partnerships with education and training platforms such as Adept Academy and OpenClassrooms
• Deliveroo riders can benefit from free courses on topics ranging from software development to project management to developing soft skills
• In the last two years, close to 300 Deliveroo riders have completed at least one online learning course under the OpenClassrooms programme
• Deliveroo funds OpenClassrooms scholarships to accredited associate-level degree programmes; this year, two riders have completed their programmes and one rider's programme is ongoing

Deliveroo Singapore today announced its expanded learning initiative and goal to encourage 1,000 riders to complete at least one training course under the firm's learning programmes by the end of 2021, reaffirming its commitment to support Deliveroo riders in their journey for lifelong learning.

As part of its efforts to upskill more riders, Deliveroo has addedAdept Academy to its growing list of learning offerings. The training organisation is recognised for its holistic suite of professional development programmes that aid the development of pertinent knowledge and skills. Deliveroo riders can use their SkillsFuture credits to embark on various upskilling courses such as Essential Service Skills, Respond to Service Challenges and Introduction to Electric Vehicles.

Among Deliveroo's other training programmes, Deliveroo riders and their families can access 700 free online courses through the food delivery company's collaboration with education platformOpenClassrooms to diversify their skills. Since its launch in 2019, close to 300 Deliveroo riders in Singapore have completed at least one course on the platform. The initiative aims to provide riders with the opportunity to study subjects to support their educational and professional development.

Suitable for ages 16 and above, topics in the 700 free online courses include language, e-commerce, business management, programming and coding, and are held in varying lengths, ranging from an hour to several months. Those who embark on a course can study at their own pace with no limit to the number of courses they can take. Upon each course completed, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion that can be used for future job applications.

Alongside the offer of free online courses for all riders, Deliveroo has created a scholarship scheme with OpenClassrooms to fund associate-level degree programmes from leading universities. Deliveroo riders can apply for the six-month long associate-level degree programmes in courses such as Web Developer and Digital Marketing which require an average of 20-hour weekly study hours. The Web Developer course teaches participants how to build responsive, dynamic websites by learning how to write HTML, CSS and JavaScript code, while the Digital Marketing course teaches participants how to leverage digital tools to generate leads and drive customer sales via digital marketing campaigns. Upon graduation, Deliveroo scholars will be assigned a dedicated career coach to help them land their dream job in the relevant field. This year, two Deliveroo riders have completed their scholarships, and one is currently undergoing the programme. Deliveroo plans to fund more scholarships in the coming 12 months.

Hong Wai, one of the Deliveroo riders who completed the Digital Marketing course and graduated with an associate's degree in digital marketing this year, said, 'I am very thankful to Deliveroo for doing this to help riders upskill and stay relevant. I learnt a lot from the programme in hard skills related to marketing and greatly improved my soft skills like writing reports and giving presentations. I really appreciate this initiative and hope other riders will benefit from the courses too!'

'Riders are at the heart of all that we do, so we regularly engage our riders through various initiatives, including providing upskilling and training opportunities. We are committed to supporting our riders in their professional and educational development and are delighted that many of our riders have signed up for upskilling and training courses in the past. We constantly ask our riders the skills they want to acquire so that we can identify the right training providers to offer such courses. We hope to encourage more riders to gain new skills through learning so that their potential is unlocked and their dreams can be realised as well,' said Sarah Tan, General Manager, Deliveroo Singapore.

Deliveroo offers a series of initiatives to provide upskilling and training for its riders. In January 2021, Deliveroo partnered with Central Singapore CDC to offer a tailored SkillsFuture Advice workshop that covered key trends in the workplace and matched riders' desired skill sets. Deliveroo also invested $9,000 in a funding scheme for riders to subsidise part of their SkillsFuture course fees to encourage lifelong learning. Deliveroo's OpenClassrooms programme was launched in 2019 to offer more than 300 free online learning courses for riders, to support their educational and professional development. In April 2020, the company expanded its OpenClassrooms programme to provide riders and their families with access to 700 online courses as they stayed at home during the Circuit Breaker period.