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.
