Refugees who learned to code are now part of the We Got POP team!

The exact extent of the refugee crisis isn’t lost on anyone, but if you’ve been looking to make a meaningful contribution to their lives, the Code Your Future initiative is offering a start. Started by Germán Bencci, the initiative is helping circumvent the job crisis for newcomers in the country. The six-month web development programme brings together a network of professional developers who lend their time and expertise to tutor students on the web technologies currently in demand — absolutely free of cost. The face-to- face, hands-on weekend classes are complemented by online support and several hours of weekly assignments and group projects.

Their efforts have already paid off gratifying dividends: two graduates, Ansi from Tamil Nadu and Ahmed from Syria, walked out with job offers from We Got POP at the end of the first course in April this year. What started out as a volunteer effort by two We Got POP engineers, Amit and Kash, has sparked off a larger conversation about what the UK tech scene can do to help with the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Kate Mc Laughlin, CEO of We Got POP, elaborated: “I was delighted when I heard about the work Amit and Kash were doing with Code your Future and I sat down with them to see how POP might be able to help. Amit explained the intention was to find work placements for those on the course on completion and so I asked if Amit believed any of the participants were of a level that could bring value to the business. We have hired two of the course participants as apprentices; and it’s early days but so far it is going really well. It’s a win-win-win as far as I am concerned. We are able to do our bit, however small, for the refugee crisis; we can support our engineers in the valuable work they are doing; give an opportunity to access the job market to two very worthwhile individuals; and the business also wins as we have sourced two smart apprentices, who we hope will become valuable contributors moving forward.”

The Code Your Future initiative is still in its infancy. As Germán says: “we are hoping to run multiple courses a year across the UK.”

If you are a VC or a tech start-up keen to support, get in touch with Code Your Future and do your Good Samaritan deed of the day — for six months at a stretch.

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