Free digital skills training offered to Afghan refugees

A new plan to provide digital skills training to Afghan refugees is designed to help those who helped Australia, delivered and funded by veteran-founded organisation WithYouWithMe.

The company is offering $10 million worth of training following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.

WithYouWithMe 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 2000 Afghan refugees by placing individuals into high-demand digital pathways, including data analysis, software development and coding.

“I’ve watched the recent events unfold in Afghanistan and it’s been heartbreaking 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 they can work from home or in an appropriate office, depending on their needs.

Ryan Bain, Robotic Process Automation Developer at WithYouWithMe, is leading the initiative. He also served as an infantryman for the Canadian Armed Forces and spent 18 months embedded with the Afghan Army.

"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,” Bain said.

“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 $5000. Courses on offer include Cybersecurity, Data Analysis, Software Development, Digital Project Management and Automation.

The organisation also provides certified training in Microsoft, Pega, Salesforce, SAP, AWS and more. Offered completely online and free, the training is designed for individuals with no previous tech experience or skills. Based on the success of the initial initiative, WithYouWithMe will expand the program beyond the first 2000 graduates.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Murrstock