Scalers, an online competency-based learning and placement company, has raised SR2 million ($533,000) in a seed round funded by angel investors from both the recruitment and talent development world. Founded last year by Mohammed Alsaeed and Faysal Alghethber, the company is working to bridge the gap between traditional education and the skills required by employers.
Scalers identifies Saudis with potential talent in sales and business development, trains them in best practices via world-class instructors, then connects them to employers both within and outside its network. The funds will be used to expand the team, allowing Scalers to increase the number of Saudis it can train, the number of hiring businesses it can support, and the breadth of training subjects it offers.
Scalers provides a one-stop shop for Saudi talents to enter the job market. With just one application, they get the opportunity to learn and practice with market leaders, expand their network, and accelerate the hiring process through direct access to preselected employers. Participants pay the full amount of the program only if they accept a job.
We’re on a mission to ensure that young talents are ready for their dream jobs.
Mohammed Alsaeed, Co-founder and CEO of Scalers
Hiring employers are increasingly joining Scalers’ network due to the time saved during the hiring process, access to pre-trained Saudi talent, and a risk-free model where they only pay if they hire the right candidate. Additionally, Scalers offers an “enhance existing workforce” program that allows employers to enroll current employees in Scalers’ training programs to upskill them in client-facing roles, such as sales and business development.
Co-founder and CEO Alsaeed said: “We’re thrilled to have our advisers and angels investing in the team and mission. There is a large market opportunity, as over 300,000 Saudis graduate each year, yet with double-digit unemployment rates, many are in need of additional market-based training that will help them fill the millions of Saudi private sector jobs expected to be created through Vision 2030. Competency-based learning, which has been growing 18 percent annually, can help fill this gap. We’re on a mission to ensure that young talents are ready for their dream jobs.”
Co-founder and COO Alghethber added: “What we’ve seen in terms of the success of our graduates has been nothing short of inspiring. Young talents have come to Scalers to learn, and in some cases, receive offers from companies that they were rejected from just a few months prior. We’re not just finding solutions to address how today’s generation learns, but also how today’s companies hire.”
Scalers aims to continue to grow its network of candidate sourcing partners and hiring companies and recently launched its public job listings board. Additionally, it plans to expand its training programs beyond sales and business development into other areas that are critical to Saudi employers.
