Deliveroo to deliver free education to riders

Dean Blake

30th Aug 2018

Food delivery company Deliveroo will provide access to hundreds of online courses free of charge to its more than 6000 riders in collaboration with Open Classrooms.

The aim of the program, running from September to December 2019, is to give riders the opportunity to study subjects to support their educational and professional development.

The company also announced a scholarship program to help riders access further education and will fund almost 100 Open Classroom scholarships per year.

“We are exceptionally proud of this initiative. It goes straight to the heart of the Deliveroo ethos of being a socially responsible company,” Deliveroo Australia general manager Levi Aron said.

“Access to education has been linked to a broad swathe of positive outcomes including a correlation with better health and well-being.”

Aron said the company worked closely with riders to understand what would make a positive difference to them, with education being a key finding.

“Riders love working with Deliveroo because of the flexibility it gives them to fit work around the rest of their lives and not the other way around. Lots of our riders are currently students, but there are other riders who might not have the opportunity to study, or are working to another goal, who can benefit from this initiative,” Aron said.

The short-term online courses will be available across the English, French and Spanish languages, and span design, data, IT, marketing, education, human resources and project management. Access to the Open Classrooms courses would normally cost $30 a month.

The scholarship scheme will allow a scholarship worth $5,700 each, with online course materials provided, as well as access to weekly meetings with an expert in their field of study, and would be guaranteed a job within their desired field within six months.