United States Air Force Relies on UdacityⓇ to Build Critical Skills in Advanced Technologies

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Udacity, the global online training platform that prepares the world's workforce for the careers of the future, today announced a partnership with Business and Enterprise Systems Product Innovation (BESPIN), a United States Air Force (USAF) agile development lab, for its airmen to strengthen their skills or upskill in areas of AI, data analysis, programming, and machine learning and improve the development of software being used by USAF. Udacity's Nanodegree^Ⓡ programs are available to BESPIN via Digital University, a new USAF initiative being developed by BESPIN that focuses on democratizing technical training across the Air Force.

Udacity's Nanodegree^Ⓡ programs feature hands-on learning with projects tailored to real-world scenarios that complement instructor-led sessions. After weighing its training options, BESPIN selected Udacity because of its focus on building skills in core and emerging technologies, with a particular emphasis on the latter. This training model enabled BESPIN teams to accelerate the app delivery process from ideation to delivered product in as little as 88 days. While BESPIN has taken the lead on collaborating with Udacity, there also are plans to offer Nanodegrees to other groups within USAF through Digital University. 

"BESPIN started with eight airmen in 2018 and has since grown to 100+ personnel, all of whom are committed to overcoming legacy technology challenges and accelerating USAF's digital transformation," said Lt. Col. Paul Cooper, CEO, BESPIN. "These ambitions, along with BESPIN's start-up mentality and work ethic, led us to Udacity's Nanodegree programs. Programs our airmen have completed, which include classes on Swift, Kotlin, Kubernetes, and data science, have given them the skill sets needed to create powerful, mission-ready software."

"Udacity is committed to creating and nurturing technological talent and closing organizations' skills gaps. It's a mission that aligns well with BESPIN's strategic initiatives," said Gabe Dalporto, CEO, Udacity. "We're proud to support USAF in meeting its goals of creating a 'Digital Air Force' and empowering its service members to achieve an ongoing competitive edge."

As well as governments around the world, Udacity's online training platform is used by global corporate customers to skill and reskill their workforces. These customers include Airbus, AT&T, BMW, IBM, Nike, and Shell. Between 2019 and 2020, Udacity's enterprise business more than doubled.

About Udacity
Udacity is a global, online training platform powering digital transformation and accelerated time-to-market initiatives for Fortune 500 and Global 2000 enterprises. Udacity programs provide industry-created practitioner skills through a series of Nanodegree® programs consisting of online courses and real-world projects in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, autonomous systems, and cloud computing, among other disciplines. Udacity collaborates with expert instructors and over 200 global industry partners including AT&T, Google, Facebook, Mercedes-Benz, and NVIDIA to power technical education. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., the private company has operations in the United Kingdom, Egypt, Germany, India, and the United Arab Emirates. Udacity has raised $163 million in funding to date from investors including Bertelsmann, Andreessen Horowitz, Charles River Ventures, and Drive Capital. For more information, please visit www.udacity.com.

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Andrea Heuer for Udacity
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