Beirut is the eighth campus worldwide, on four continents, and the first in the Middle East
Beirut, Lebanon, January 28, 2020 – The Holberton School, a college alternative for training software engineers will open its first campus in Beirut in partnership with Startecheus, a next-generation FinTech studio that builds technology-enabled companies empowering the financial services industry from concept to growth stages.
The new campus will be hosted at Beirut Digital District (BDD), the unique cluster of innovation designed for the digital & creative community.
“A huge gap currently exists between the demanded skills and the available ones in the regional markets, affecting the economy and hindering the emergence of Lebanon as a potential production hub,” said Mouhamad Rabah, CEO of BDD. “The unemployment rate continues to rise despite demand for tech talent increasing. The partnership undertaken by Startecheus and Holberton to provide tech training in Lebanon will help bridge this gap. BDD is keen on supporting this great initiative and has partnered with Startecheus to provide the BDD Community with exclusive access and rates as part of our continuous effort to enable our community’s growth.”
The World Economic Forum estimates that in contrast to 2015, 21 percent of core skills required across all occupations will be different in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries alone by 2020. By 2025, across the MENA region, this shift in required skills could result in as much as 945,000 additional full-time equivalent jobs and a US$21 billion surge in GDP in Egypt, 799,000 jobs and US$41 billion in Turkey, and 276,000 jobs and US$32 billion additional GDP in Saudi Arabia.
“This collaborative partnership represents the best of how Holberton and Startecheus can work together to provide quality tech skills, drive jobs and economic growth to the local ecosystem,” says Alexandre Jihad Harkous, chairman, managing partner of Startecheus. “It’s through this kind of collaboration and cooperation that all of our ecosystem can benefit. Joining such a program will boost workforce motivation and careers. The academy’s vision is to build capacity in the ICT local market by bridging the skills gap between Academia and industry.”
Like all Holberton campuses, Holberton Beirut provides Silicon Valley-caliber peer-learning and project-based software engineering training.
“We’ve seen in the US and other parts of the world that only through education can people, groups, cities, states and even countries lift themselves up,” said Pauline Cohen Vorms, director, Business Development & Partnerships. “Even a perfunctory Google search of open tech jobs in Beirut and Lebanon shows the demand is there. Together with our partners, we can make dreams of a better life come true.”
Holberton’s innovative curriculum has enabled students to acquire practical skills and an understanding of theory through hands-on learning. Graduates from the San Francisco-based school currently have been hired by top-tier employers, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, T-Mobile, and Tesla, among others.
Applications to Holberton are open to people over 18 with a high school or general equivalency degree.
About Startecheus
Startecheus is a next-generation FinTech studio that builds technology-enabled companies empowering the financial services industry from the concept to growth stages, while assisting and mentoring throughout their entire life cycle, leading to a successful exit in international commercialization.
Startecheus operates at the intersection of Innovative Technology and Financial Services with a vision to empower the digital, artificial intelligence and blockchain fields.
About Beirut Digital District
BDD fosters the growth of digital startups and encourages entrepreneurship. It is a sustainable district that is complete with eco-friendly buildings, surrounded by open spaces, and powered by ongoing resource-efficient energy. It’s rich networking opportunities, through its carefully crafted cluster, allows companies to interact and exchange competencies, create partnerships and establish synergies. BDD is also a pioneer in offering a one-stop-shop for companies to fulfill professional aspirations, indulged in comfort and benefit from professional support.
About Holberton School
With campuses in San Francisco, New Haven, CT, Tulsa, OK, Medellin, Bogota and Cali, Colombia, Tunis, Tunisia and Beirut, Lebanon, on four continents, Holberton trains software engineers using a revolutionary teaching method utilizing project-based and peer learning. Holberton’s college alternative program is free until students find a job. Graduates have been placed in high-impact engineering positions at companies like Apple, Tesla, Facebook and LinkedIn. The school is supported by professional advisors and investors who are leaders in technology, sports and entertainment, including: Grammy-Award winner NE-YO, actor and social activist Priyanka Chopra, New York Jets standout Kelvin Beachum; and technology visionaries LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, Yahoo! founder Jerry Yang, Docker founder Solomon Hykes and Upwork CEO Stephane Kasriel. Go to www.holbertonschool.com to learn more.