PRESS RELEASE: Hope after Kabul: Free digital skills training offered to Afghan refugees
Veteran-founded organisation, WithYouWithMe is dedicating $10 million dollars of
free digital skills and training to Afghan refugees following the fall of Kabul to the
Taliban.
Co-founder and CEO Tom Moore is among 39,000 Australian troops who have been
deployed to Afghanistan since 2001.
“Over 60% of our employees have served or are family members of those who served.
We are committed to the upskilling of 2,000 Afghan refugees by placing individuals
into high-demand digital pathways, including data analysis, software development
and coding,” said Tom Moore.
“I’ve watched the recent events unfold in Afghanistan and it’s been heart-breaking to
see on a deeply personal level. Many of our staff are veterans and we firmly believe
that the good folks who risked everything to help us deserve our support,” Moore
said.
WithYouWithMe will also help place, successful graduates into entry-level tech jobs
where graduates can work from home, or in an appropriate office, depending on their
needs.
Ryan Bain, Robotic Process Automation Developer at WithYouWithMe, who also
served as an infantryman for the Canadian Armed Forces and spent 18 months
embedded with the Afghan Army, is leading the training initiative.
“We’re dedicated to training Afghan refugees, translators and their families because it’s the right thing to do. Everyone is focused on just getting them out,” said Ryan. “For those
that have been forced to flee, we want to ensure they have a second chance to rebuild a
new life.”
Each self-paced course is valued at $5,000. Courses on offer include: Cybersecurity,
Data Analysis, Software Development, Digital Project Management and Automation.
WithYouWithMe also provides certified training in Microsoft, Pega, Salesforce, SAP, AWS
and many more.
Being completely online and free, the digital skills training offered is designed for
individuals with no tech experience or skills. Based on the success of the initial initiative,
WithYouWithMe will expand the program beyond the first 2,000 graduates.
About WYWM:
WithYouWithMe are leaders in talent accessibility. We make technology roles more
accessible. Our mission is to solve underemployment globally by enabling organisations
to focus on people’s skills and potential rather than their experience.
WithYouWithMe was founded in 2015 to solve veteran unemployment. Fixing the
recruitment system for veterans highlighted deeper problems in how companies fire, hire
and train the workforce.
We have offices located in Australia, Canada, USA and the UK, with more than 18,000
individuals joining our platform since inception.
WithYouWithMe works with governments, businesses and communities world-wide to
solve the widening IT skills gap with diverse IT talent.
