Uganda hosts Africa’s largest refugee population, some 1.8 million people who have fled conflicts in nearby countries. Finding a path to a new life can take years, even for those with advanced skills that are in demand in other countries.
To create new pathways for refugees in Uganda, ITC has collaborated to prepare tech professionals for new lives in Italy.
The first ten skilled refugees hosted in Uganda have arrived in Naples and Torin to begin new careers in Italy’s tech sector, after undergoing a series of training sessions facilitated by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and partners in Uganda.
The refugees worked with the ReadyForIT – Labor Pathways for Refugees initiative. The project prepared 21 refugees for job interviews and matching with employers, provided intensive training in programming languages like Java and SQL, and offered civic and language preparation courses, and labour safety training to support their integration into Italian society.
The refugees came from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. All of them were already skilled professionals, but as refugees, some were living in remote settlements with little access to technology. Others were in Kampala, but were limited in their ability to find work.
‘ITC equipped me with programming skills in Java and SQL, and also prepared me ahead of my job interview as a refugee in Uganda. Now, I have resumed a new role as a tech professional at Accenture in Italy. My self-esteem and financial capacity have been transformed,’ said Alpha Ntihinduka, who’s taken up a new job at Accenture.
A tech academy, Refactory Uganda, was engaged by ITC to prepare the candidates for their technical interviews with employers. They also provided onsite coaching and training so the candidates would be up to speed on the latest technology. This is part of ITC’s Refugees & Trade Programme.
After the training, the refugees participated in an ITC-led workshop with their future employers to support their integration into Italian workplaces.
Photo by UNHCR Italy
Upon arrival, they will begin working in the IT sector, contributing to the growth of Italy’s tech industry.
This initiative is the first labour mobility pathway to be developed. These pathways are designed to connect skilled refugees with countries and companies that need their talents. The success of these refugees shows the benefits of how ITC collaborates across a spectrum of organizations, from local business support groups to national governments and other international organizations, as well as private companies.
Of the 16 refugees taking up new jobs in Italy, eight are employed by Accenture at their Naples office. Another one has started working at Aubay, one in Btinkeeng, while others will be employed by Dedagroup (Deda), OverIT, Reale ITES, and ValueTech.
ReadyForITLabor Pathways for Refugees falls under the broader initiative of Labour Corridors for Refugees, which selects and trains qualified refugees to legally enter the Italian job market. This offers refugees a concrete opportunity to rebuild a dignified life, while providing Italian companies with qualified workers.
It also helps to build the self-reliance and resilience of refugees in Uganda through the engagement of local service providers such as Refactory.
Through the project, Refactory worked with DevelHope, an Italian tech company, to deliver some sessions of the training to refugees and lead the onsite coaching. That gave Refactory exposure to international best practices and to Develhope a contextualised approach. Refactory is very active in the tech field and is now engaged in a new project to train over 9,000 women (including refugees) in IT in Uganda and create 6,000 jobs by 2027.
Article was first published by International Trade Centre