Kenzie Academy, an alternative online and in-person college that creates jobs for tomorrow’s economy by providing technology training for anyone interested in accelerating their career, announced that it is expanding its international geographic presence with the opening of a campus in Curitiba, Brazil.
Kenzie Academy has enrolled over 500 students in the U.S. at its physical campus in Indianapolis and online, equipping students with the job-ready skills necessary to succeed in the digital economy. Founded in July 2017, Kenzie is training untapped tech talent in the American Heartland, offering affordable financing options and job-focused education that meets the needs of modern students seeking to learn digital skills to boost their careers.
Starting in January 2020, Kenzie is bringing its scalable virtual classroom model to Brazilians excluded from opportunities in the digital economy. Kenzie’s proven curriculum will provide Brazilians with project-based digital training that leads directly to jobs in the tech sector, helping to combat the severe tech talent shortage in Brazil, with an estimated 150,000 tech positions unfilled by 2024.
Kenzie’s success in the United States positions it perfectly to replicate these efforts in Brazil, creating new pools of tech talent to help students secure high-demand positions in the sector while meeting the hiring needs of companies.
“We are opening a new door to empower the Brazilian workforce. As the global economy becomes increasingly digital, local communities will need developers ready to provide agile problem-solving skills to businesses,” said Kenzie CEO Chok Ooi. “Kenzie is already transforming careers and lives of students in the U.S. With this expansion, we bring the same level of access to Brazil.”
“Kenzie’s unit in Curitiba will drive local job growth for Brazilian students, providing a pathway out of declining industries and low-wage jobs,” said Daniel Soifer Kriger, responsible for launching Kenzie Brazil.
As part of this expansion to Brazil, Kenzie has partnered with Ebanx, a Brazilian unicorn, as well as local tech companies like Bcredi, James Delivery, Social Wave, Banco Bari, and CPlug, which will act as anchor employers, offering Kenzie Brazil students the possibility of professional placement after graduation.
Just in the past year, Kenzie announced a $7.8 million Series A funding round, followed by a $100 million investment in student financing to expand its offerings to thousands of students. With the goal of bringing tech opportunities to untapped talent around the world, this international expansion is a natural step.
For more information about Kenzie Academy in Brazil, visit www.kenzie.com.br