Educapital invests in Makers Academy to support its strong development on its BtoB offer

Educapital invests in Makers Academy to support its strong development on its BtoB offer      

Makers is an innovative company which trains learners to the new digital world

Technology is transforming usages, organizations and needs related to the employment market. New jobs are appearing, others are being eliminated, reinvented and automated.                                          50% of current jobs will evolve or radically be transformed by 2030 and 60% of the population will need reskilling according to a study by McKinsey.

The skill gap has a considerable societal impact and a massive financial cost: Accenture estimates at $ 142 billion this digital skill gap cost to the UK economy over the next 10 years.

To remain competitive, companies need to focus on their human capital. They need to train their employees, they must reskill, upgrade their competencies over time and attract new talents.

Who are these next generation talents? Individuals capable of continuous learning and reinventing themselves ; people who knows how to demonstrate leadership, creativity and critical thinking.

Makers is a UK company founded 5 years ago by Evgeny Shadchnev, a Russian-origin engineer. It trains students in the fields of programming and software development.

Makers' mission is to transform people's lives by providing them with the skills that will enable them to find long-term employability and to adapt to the Future of Work. Its mission is also to support companies by helping them to find people with the skills they need, attract talent and train people to address the challenges of the 21st century and stay competitive.

• Makers addresses individuals (BtoC business model) regardless of where they come from and of their background, by providing them with “accelerated” corporate training (bootcamps format) to regain employability.
• Makers addresses companies (BtoB business model) by helping them to recruit, train and onboard talents.
• Finally, Makers addresses the government (BtoG business model) since it is one of the few "Apprenticeship provider" accredited training companies which allows it to receive funding from governments to train young apprentices.        

Makers' philosophy is not only to transmit hard skills and fundamental knowledge but also to transmit soft skills.

The “Makers” learn by projects, among peers and are guided by coaches. Makers is the school of transmission and the school of experience: at Makers, we learn, we meditate, we meet people and we help each other

Since its creation, Makers has trained 1,700 IT developers and placed them in hundreds of companies such as Deloitte, Tesco, Vodafone, Accenture, Microsoft. It has built a viable and diversified business model, as well as strong barriers to entry such as its regulatory certifications. It has built a strong brand with a sustainable network of alumni (students, learners, apprentices and companies) and is a recognized talent provider.

The women and men who built Makers are committed to creating financial value but also to its societal impact: the return to employment, the diversity among learners and the well-being of learners, which are fundamental values of the firm.

Makers has changed lives of numerous people such as Simon, a former salesman in a paint shop now a tech developer at the Financial Times; or Ruth, a full-time mother now an engineer at ANDigital.

Makers has experienced remarkable and profitable growth over the last 2 years and has raised almost no funds since its creation (a limited amount has been raised 5 years ago from Forward Partners). Today is the right time for Makers to accelerate its growth and this is why Educapital has decided to become its partner, as well as to become a structuring financial shareholder alongside Forward

We are absolutely convinced of the enormous opportunity in the Corporate training market as the upskilling and reskilling of the individuals are becoming essential. We have been seduced by Makers' execution, its achievements and the founder's vision, who has always achieved his goals while remaining humble and prudent. We share the same vision about the current need to align economic and societal impact to build a successful and sustainable company.

We are proud to accompany Makers Academy in its new adventures.

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