Online classes platform Udacity, the education technology company brought to the region from Silicon Valley, has announced its new Blockchain Nanodegree Programme which is accessible online across the GCC, Jordan and Lebanon.

Registration is open and the course will start from 10th July 2018. With prices starting from AED 3,750 (around $1,000) per term, the course is available for anyone with internet connection and provides the basics in blockchain for developers. The skill is highly demanded by employers, with blockchain-related jobs being cited by TechCrunch as the second-fasted growing skill in today’s labour market, with salaries to match.

This new worldwide Nanodegree programme, launched at Future of Fintech in the US, is focused on job readiness, and the acquisition of in-demand blockchain skills. MENA student joining the programme will build portfolio-ready projects designed in collaboration with working blockchain developers and hiring managers, and will have access to leading experts in the field. In addition, they will build their own blockchain to store and manage data, create their own smart contracts using Solidity, the primary language on Ethereum, and build a blockchain-powered web app for supply chain management.

Roshni Jain, Director of Learning Products, Udacity said: “We are excited to launch this new nanodegree programme in the region. As a company, Udacity is committed to connecting learning to jobs, with a focus on subjects which lead to employment opportunity, and Blockchain is high on the list of headhunters across the globe.”

She continued by saying: “A critical point for aspiring blockchain developers to recognise is that this is still an emerging field. So not only is there wide-open opportunity, but competition for jobs is happening on a comparatively level playing field, because no one is yet in a position to have extensive experience in the field—the space is still too new. This means that recruiters are adopting new strategies to hire the best blockchain developers and having the strongest skill set is key.”

In an emerging field like blockchain, hands-on experience is a key competitive differentiator for job-seekers, and that’s exactly what students will get in the Udacity programme. The company has designed the curriculum in collaboration with working blockchain developers, drawing xclusive insights from some of the leading voices in the blockchain space, including:

●      Balaji Srinivasan, CTO of Coinbase

●      David Johnston, Chairman of the Board of Factom

●      Aaron Brown, VP of Engineering at Madnetworks

●      Elena Nadolinski, Solidity Engineer, Co-Creator of Ethmoji.io.

●      PK Rasam, Founder and Chief Blockchain Officer at LINCD

Balaji Srinivasan, CTO of Coinbase in the US commented: "We're very excited about current and future applications of blockchain, but the industry is still in need of an influx of qualified new talent into the field. This is why we're working with Udacity in support of the new Blockchain Developer Nanodegree program, to ensure that new developers can learn the right skills to start making an impact right away."

For experienced developers interested in moving into the blockchain space, the Udacity Nanodegree offers experience building decentralised applications, and the opportunity to master the blockchain development skills that are in high demand across industries, and at companies ranging from startups to large, established organisations.

With developments moving so rapidly in the world of blockchain, this offers a dynamic experience that affords students the opportunity to be up-to-date with all the latest innovations. Some of Udacity’s ‘Experts-In-Residence’ for the programme include:

●      Adam Gall, Co-founder, CTO, DECENT

●      Brian Ho, Software Developer & Course Instructor, Blockchain at Berkeley

●      Connor Yanz, Software Engineer, MadHive

●      Matt Whittington, Software Developer, Factom

●      Parker McCurley, Founder, DECENT

●      Tyler Mace, Senior Software Engineer, MadHive

The Udacity Blockchain Developer Nanodegree Programme is available for students to enroll now. To be eligible, students should be comfortable with object-oriented programming, and developing web apps in Javascript.