The Drupal Open Curriculum Initiative is a collaborative effort aimed at equipping new developers with comprehensive training in Drupal development. By creating an Open Curriculum, the initiative seeks to offer systematic and structured learning through in-class sessions, self-learning, training exercises, and on-the-job experiences. This framework allows developers to build a strong foundation in Drupal technology and progressively fill in details as they gain practical experience working on projects.

The context for this initiative arises from Drupal's growing popularity in the enterprise sector, attracting large companies as service providers. As the demand for Drupal developers continues to rise in these enterprises, smaller Drupal companies play a crucial role in meeting the supply. To sustain their growth and cater to a larger consumer base, these smaller companies must efficiently hire and train new generations of Drupal developers without incurring excessive costs.

The initiative aims to prepare a Drupal Training Syllabus, learning objectives, and training materials for in-class sessions. Additionally, it will develop Drupal exercises for hands-on training and create a question bank to assess the progress of individuals throughout the training program.

In essence, the Drupal Open Curriculum Initiative strives to foster a vibrant Drupal community by empowering small companies to nurture and expand their pool of skilled developers, meeting the industry's increasing demands in a sustainable manner.