London — The Misk Foundation (Misk), the nonprofit organization founded by H.R.H. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2011 to empower Saudi young people, today announced a partnership with global education pioneer General Assembly (GA) to offer technology skills training programs that will prepare men and women in Saudi Arabia for the most in-demand careers of the digital age. This is the first program of its kind in the region, and GA joins a rapidly growing number of leading education institutions, technology firms, and international and philanthropic organizations partnering with Misk to advance its mission of discovering, developing, and empowering Saudi young people to become active participants in the knowledge economy.
By 2021, Misk and GA will offer GA’s award-winning technology training to more than 4,000 men and women in the region, preparing them for careers in web development, data science, design, digital marketing, and product management, among other disciplines. Starting in April, these courses will be taught on the ground in Riyadh by world-class industry practitioners from GA’s global instructor network, and build on GA’s award-winning curriculum, designed and tested with a network of cutting-edge startups and Fortune 500 companies.
“Young people are coming of age in a world that is changing more than at any time in human history,” said Mohammed Abuazzah, Chief Marketing Officer of the Misk Foundation. “Knowledge, skills, creativity and adaptability are the crucial currency of the future. That’s why Misk is committed to working with partner organizations such as General Assembly to equip Saudi youth with the skills they need to meet the challenge of change. This partnership is part of our ambitious plan to develop a hub of IT excellence within the Kingdom, and create a pipeline of skilled talent to power our transformation.”
GA is a leading disruptor in the global education space and has prepared tens of thousands of adults around the world with in-demand 21st century skills. To date, over 40,000 students have participated in GA’s digital skills transformation programs, and close to 300 companies, including one-third of the Fortune 100, have worked with GA to deliver radical reskilling initiatives and develop customized talent pipelines.
In GA’s three-month, 500-hour immersive trainings, students learn by doing, and are taught by leading practitioners in dynamic fields like machine learning, front-end web development, cybersecurity, and product management. Students are prepared for jobs of the future through an innovative teaching model that blends instruction, collaborative projects, and career readiness training. Students complete their GA experience with highly relevant digital skills, a robust project portfolio, and a “lifelong learning” mindset that prepares them to respond and adapt to future changes in technology. GA will operate alongside other leading training providers, including Harvard University, Khan Academy, and LinkedIn, to provide education to thousands of Saudi Arabians, adding to the ranks of leading education and talent innovators working to build a new Saudi Arabia.
“At General Assembly, we believe that education is the key to transforming lives and creating opportunity,” said Jake Schwartz, CEO and Co-Founder of General Assembly. “We have worked with companies and individuals around the world to empower tens of thousands of adults to pursue the work they love. We look forward to bringing our transformational education programs to a new region of the world, and are excited to stand alongside Misk’s other partners, including Google, The Boston Consulting Group, and Harvard University to drive economic opportunity in the Middle East and create career pathways for the next generation of tech talent in the region.”
Enrollments into the first courses will begin in the coming weeks. Interested potential students can visit ga.co/riyadh to learn more and sign up.
About the Misk Foundation
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Foundation (the Misk Foundation) is a non-profit philanthropic foundation established by H.R.H. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to discover, develop and empower Saudi youth to become active participants in the knowledge economy. Misk specifically focuses on four key areas: education, creative and digital media, technology, and culture and arts. Misk pursues this agenda both through its own programs, and through partnerships with local and global organizations. https://misk.org.sa/en/
About General Assembly
General Assembly (GA) is advancing the future of work by equipping individuals and corporations alike with the most in-demand 21st-century skills. Offering training and assessments in web development, data science, digital marketing, and more, GA is building transparent career pathways for people, and sustainable, diverse talent pipelines for employers. With 23 locations, immersive online offerings, onsite trainings for the Fortune 500, and a global community of professionals nearly one million strong, GA is the leading source for training, staffing, and career transitions.
