Degreed + 84.51° Reimagines Training at Scale

Business technologies are evolving at the speed of AI, making proactive learning essential to operational success. Companies are investing heavily in data-driven solutions, and teams must upskill to meet client and market demands.

Employees—particularly data scientists—are hungry for relevant training opportunities. But identifying knowledge gaps is challenging at scale, and finding practical solutions takes valuable time and resources.

84.51° partnered with Degreed to solve specific problems outlined by Michael Carrico, Data Science Learning & Development Director, “We realized we had the tools and culture to do so much more with learning, but the fragmented systems and lack of actionable data made it difficult to create meaningful impact.”

Degreed, a Learning Experience Platform (LXP), provides customized training pathways that unlock new capabilities for focused skill-based learning.

84.51° used Degreed to consolidate learning resources, personalize content delivery, and unlock data-driven insights at scale. Through initiatives such as gamified badges, quarterly themes, and API-based skill tracking, the company achieved higher engagement, streamlined processes, and tangible business impact:

“With an increasing number of skills and employees, we can no longer count on knowing who is an expert and who needs upskilling in every skill. Skills and skill ratings are allowing us to better identify who can teach and who needs to learn.”

- Michael Carrico, 84.51° Data Science L&D Director

Michael’s sentiment encapsulates how Degreed adds value by offering a personalized approach to learning and career growth, and it all starts with skill data.

“L&D can’t know everyone anymore. Now that we have this information, we can be more targeted in our communications and then track that targeting on the back end, allowing us to do much more, intelligently, at scale,” Carrico said.

By using the Degreed API, the L&D team gained access to deeper, data-informed insights that made it possible to develop tools for analyzing skill ratings and creating role-specific learning plans. Comparing associates’ self-assessments against new internal benchmarks gave managers a clearer, more actionable view of skill levels across teams and roles.

The bottom line? Employees no longer waste time in training sessions for skills they already possess, and associates can get up to speed in specific areas relevant to their role.

Investing in ongoing training means embracing progress that strengthens our people and our business. Being recognized as Degreed’s 2025 Learning Expert of the Year highlights our commitment to developing skills that drive real results.

As a retail data insights company, quantifiable results speak louder than words. Our partnership with Degreed has delivered significant ROI while increasing associate participation, highlighted by metrics like:

• $40,000+ saved in external training costs

• $1 million in technology cost savings linked to initiatives enabled by pathways-based learning

• 400% increase in Pathway minutes completed

• 90% of data scientists engaged in at least one learning pathway in 2024

• 78% of data scientists completed at least one skills badge in 2024

Dive deeper into how Degreed saved 84.51° significant time and tech costs in this video.

Some try to keep pace. We strive to set the pace. The reality is that in the modern data science and technology environment, skills can become obsolete within months. Scalable and dynamic learning opportunities ensure we have a well-trained workforce with minimal knowledge gaps.

As 84.51° continues to build new and exciting AI-powered systems to better serve our clients and their customers, ongoing education is a high priority. Degreed grows with us, ensuring we’re future-proofed and prepared for whatever comes next.