OpenLearning and Alibaba Cloud to Address Skills Gap in Cloud Security with CS101

Sydney, 13 October 2021 - OpenLearning today welcomes Alibaba Cloud as an industry partner for CS101, a new Computer Science micro-credential designed by industry for industry, combining leading tech companies, computer scientists and learning designers to prepare learners for the future of work on a global scale.

As COVID-19 has accelerated the digitisation of the global economy, many organisations are facing difficulty finding qualified staff as the digital skills gap has grown. According to McKinsey, 87% of executives across the globe are facing digital skills shortages in their workplaces. Companies around the world have learnt to adapt quickly to these changes and many have turned to cloud and online services to function remotely. This sudden shift to rely on technology has been met with challenges including how to protect remote workforces online, most prominently in cybersecurity.

CS101, short for ‘Computer Science 101’, will help close the digital skills gap, designed to be completed in just 12 weeks part-time covering essential foundational skills including computational thinking, complex problem solving, programming, logic, algorithms, automation, micro-processors, professional practice and ethics.

The partnership between OpenLearning and Alibaba Cloud will provide unique opportunities for learners to be exposed to a suite of comprehensive cloud offerings from the industry leader, deploy the best practices in ensuring the security of cloud platforms and apply the versatile skills they develop in CS101 to global marketplaces. Alibaba Cloud is one of the world’s leading IaaS providers and the largest provider of public cloud services across Asia.

“We are honoured to become an industry partner of OpenLearning for CS101 and share our industry knowledge to working professionals who are interested in gaining knowledge in the field of cloud computing. Through the collaboration, we hope our technology and experience will support OpenLearning’s objective to make digital skills available for more people. ”
-- James Wang, Country Manager of Australia and New Zealand, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence

“We are excited to welcome Alibaba Cloud as an industry partner for CS101. We have worked closely with Alibaba Cloud over the past 18 months and leveraged their cloud service to ensure that OpenLearning is accessible worldwide. The future of work is on the cloud and working professionals in fields such as project management, operations and business analysis will need to develop computer science skills to get the most out of technology and increase their productivity.”
-- Adam Brimo, Founder and Group CEO, OpenLearning Limited

The first course CS101: Programming and Computational Thinking, will start on 18th October 2021. Upon successful completion of the course, learners will receive an OpenCred in the form of a digital credential that includes both a badge and a certificate that can be shared on social media.

The design of CS101 is being led by OpenLearning Founder and CTO David Collien and is built on OpenLearning’s lifelong learning platform, utilising a socially constructive approach to deliver a transformative learning experience. In addition to activity and project-based learning, CS101 will have a vibrant community of practice facilitated by computer scientists and virtual small weekly consultation groups for learners to exchange ideas and solve problems together.