Values
Community
There is no such thing as a self-made professional - we all have had someone who has helped us get to where we are today. This is the power of community. We believe in bringing people together, bring people along, and bringing out the very best potential in the people with whom we work.
Performance
We believe that there is always room for growth and improvement. We do not settle. We continually focus on improvements. We are life long learners. We work to ensure the highest quality and professionalism in all that we do.
Trust
Trust comes by foot and leaves on horseback. We instil the highest sense of integrity and accountability in order to earn and keep the trust of our community. We are committed to establishing long term relationships with those who share our values.
Inspiration
The world is not a fair place and neither is tech. Challenging the status quo is what inspires us. We are not afraid to think and do different. We question, we dare, and we act. The stakes are simply too high to bury our heads in the sand.
Results
347
Alumni who have
completed our programs
456+
Technical Certifications
achieved by Alumni
294
Mentors matched 1-on-1
with Alumni
153
Alumni in a
full time role
SDGs: Education. Employment. Equality.
We are creating an unparalleled environment for newcomers to learn digital skills and accelerate their integration into society.
SDG 4.4
Equitable quality education
Increase the number of adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
SDG 8.5
Decent work & economic growth
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
SDG 10.2
Reduce Inequality
Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
'Let's train 1 person.'
Founded in Amsterdam in 2018 (as Stichting RefugeeForce), we started with the big ambition to solve a complex social issue and to provide better career opportunities for refugees.
Reality quickly set in - we had full time jobs, limited free time and little resources. As an evening, volunteering initiative we set up our first training program with 5 newcomers in 2019.
We have since grown into a global movement for newcomers to launch their careers in the tech sector across 5 countries. Our Award-winning, classroom-based programs provide not only knowledge and skills, but also community, peer to peer learning, and professional development.
Ultimately, we aim to change the perceptions of tech professionals, companies, and the public on the experience and skills that newcomers bring with them to build new lives in their host country.
When newcomers acquire in-demand technical skills, receive personalized mentorship and job coaching, and build a diverse professional network, they have the best chance to start a rewarding career.
Our approach focuses on platforms over coding. We believe that the most successfull technical professionals should be able to develop and connect applications using low-code and no-code tools. This reflects the IT landscape for most companies - business needs moves fast, businesses use many tools to achieve their goals, and those tools should talk to each other. This is the future of tech.
'We overestimate what we can accomplish in 1 year and we underestimate what we can accomplish in 10 years.'
Social impact is a marathon, not a sprint. Change takes time. People take time.
Our roadmap to impact includes both quantitative and qualitative outcomes, with an overall goal to build a more diverse and integrated community of technical professionals where talent is globally recognized and opportunities are equally accessible.
The labor market is not a level playing field and newcomers face many barriers. We believe that access to the labor market is essential for newcomers. Research shows that having a career allows newcomers to live autonomously and independently, but also fulfills many important needs: it improves language skills, increases cultural awareness, builds local and social networks, increases social participation, and improves physical and mental health.
Reducing and removing these barriers to the labor market takes time. This is why we are in this for the long term. Our goals are aligned towards 2030 and include:
1. We aim to reach 10.000 newcomers through our training programs.
2. We strive to reach a 70% employment rate for Alumni who successfully complete our programs.
3. We seek to reach a 50/50 program gender mix across our programs.
'Our reason for being.'
We've taken a look around, talked with many founders, investors, and business leaders in this space. From the beginning, we did not want to become yet another ‘training program to nowhere.'
This is why a strong focus on creating career opportunities remains a critical, shared incentive for our participants, our organization, our partners, and, ultimately, for our society.
Social enterprises are organizations that seek to create social impact through a market-based approach. As such, our main objective is to make a social impact rather than to make a profit.
To achieve this, we provide services in the market in an entrepreneurial and innovative fashion so we can use the revenue we make to create even more social impact. This creates the necessary tension to deliver better services while not compromising our main reason for being - social impact. Moreover, this works to reduce dependencies on donations and subsidies over time.
We believe in creating careers, not jobs. Our alumni go on to secure well-paid roles as IT Administrators, Consultants, Business Analysts, and Developers with leading employers and customers directly in the markets where we work.
This establishes lasting participation in the labor market and ultimately improves their integration and financial independence in their host country.
Moreover, we welcome each participant into our vibrant, global Alumni community for life to provide continuous learning, valuable connections, and opportunities for further professional development.
We aim provide all this, plus cover all program related expenses, for each participant, free of charge, forever.
'Keep your standards high.'
To ensure that we comply with the highest starndards of social entrepreneurship, we have laid down the following points in our articles of association:
Mission: Improve the integration of newcomers and increase employment of vulnerable groups.
Profit allocation: 100% of any profit is re-invested into our social mission for 5 years, 70% is re-invested after 5 years (2028).
Liquidation or dissolution: Upon liquidation or dissolution, 70% of the liquidation surplus will accrue to another (ANBI) foundation with a purpose similar to its social and community mission.
Remuneration policy: the highest earner in the organization may not earn more than five times as much as the lowest earner in the organization.
Impact Advisory Board (RvA): Established to monitor the achievement of social objectives and whether the business operations are in line with the social mission.
Powers of the Impact Advisory Board: The RvA is included in a regulation and/or the company's articles of association and decisions relating to the company require RvA prior written approval.
See for yourself - below you can download our company documents:
Chamber of Commerce (KvK) Registration
Organizational Governance & Shareholders
Leadership Team
Stakeholder Map
Impact Advisory Board Charter (Raad van Advies)
Articles of Incorporation
2022 Annual Accounts
2023 Annual Accounts