Edtech Insiders

The College Alternative: How OpenClassrooms is Rethinking Higher Ed with Pierre Dubuc


Listen Later

Send us a text

Pierre Dubuc is the co-founder and CEO of OpenClassrooms, the leading online education platform with about 300k students a month. The school offers unlimited access to hundreds of free courses, as well as complete 100% online training programs for some of today’s most sought-after careers. OpenClassrooms' courses and learning content are produced in-house, and follow a unique pedagogy which relies on scenario-based projects and mentoring from experts in their respective fields.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:

  1. How degree apprenticeships are replacing traditional internships.
  2. Why AI is reshaping both education and job training.
  3. What’s holding the U.S. back from scaling apprenticeships.
  4. How OpenClassrooms integrates education with real jobs.
  5. The future of career-focused learning and credentialing.

Episode Highlights:

[00:02:18] Pierre Dubuc shares how OpenClassrooms evolved from an online coding hobby.
[00:04:22] The disconnect between higher ed and employment – and how to fix it.
[00:07:17] Why paid apprenticeships are more effective than internships.
[00:09:33] A real success story: From high school graduate to six-figure career.
[00:14:10] Breaking down the barriers to apprenticeship adoption in the U.S.
[00:21:36] How AI is accelerating job placement and training.
[00:29:41] AI-powered learning companions help students stay on track.
[00:34:37] OpenClassrooms is making job training count for college credit.
[00:37:18] Pierre’s vision for an integrated education-to-employment system.

😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! 

  • Follow our Podcast on:
    • Apple Podcasts
    • Spotify
    • Amazon Music
  • Sign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.
  • Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn!

🎉 Presenting Sponsor:

This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Starbridge. Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.

This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Edtech InsidersBy Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

22 ratings


More shows like Edtech Insiders

View all
Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,134 Listeners

Masters in Business by Bloomberg

Masters in Business

2,186 Listeners

a16z Podcast by Andreessen Horowitz

a16z Podcast

1,019 Listeners

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch by Harry Stebbings

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

513 Listeners

Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

Decoder with Nilay Patel

3,137 Listeners

Trumponomics by Bloomberg

Trumponomics

347 Listeners

Odd Lots by Bloomberg

Odd Lots

1,780 Listeners

Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy by Colossus | Investing & Business Podcasts

Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy

2,301 Listeners

Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed by Jeff Selingo, Michael Horn

Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed

136 Listeners

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

6,728 Listeners

Dwarkesh Podcast by Dwarkesh Patel

Dwarkesh Podcast

373 Listeners

Hard Fork by The New York Times

Hard Fork

5,414 Listeners

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley by BG2Pod

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley

453 Listeners

AI + a16z by a16z

AI + a16z

30 Listeners

Mixed Signals from Semafor Media by Semafor Podcasts

Mixed Signals from Semafor Media

200 Listeners