The Tel Aviv Municipality and the non-profit group PresenTense announced unveiled on Monday an "Introduction to Coding" training program for asylum seekers in the city following the successful conclusion of a pilot course
"The coding and entrepreneurship course for asylum seekers, which seeks to advance employment opportunities for one of the city's most at-risk population groups, is an initiative launched by The Platform, a municipal entrepreneurship center located in Tel Aviv's Neve Shaanan neighborhood, and PresenTense funded by Citi Foundation," a joint statement read. "The program is organized in close partnership with the African Refugee Development Center (ARDC), a non-profit founded in 2004 by asylum seekers and Israeli citizens to empower African refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers,' it continued.
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According to the statement, "Introduction to Coding" is a course that offers "basic coding and entrepreneurial skills to asylum seekers who wish to pursue future studies in the field and a new career path." On top of that it "includes a series of educational courses to accelerate entrepreneurship and innovation in disadvantaged areas of south Tel Aviv." During the 10-week pilot program that was launched earlier this year, participants got to learn the programming language Python and other basic coding skills. "Each participant was paired with a mentor with significant coding experience, offering one-on-one guidance and personal assistance to support their hi-tech studies," the organizations said.
"Our goal at PresenTense is to identify existing gaps and address them by making the 'Start-up Nation' accessible," Khouloud Ayuti, co-CEO of PresenTense, said. "There are many socially-marginalized communities that don't take part in the thriving tech and entrepreneurship ecosystem. We are grateful to have had this opportunity to bring the employment possibilities of the 21st century to the asylum seekers and migrant workers in Tel Aviv-Yafo and look forward to our continued joint work."
Director of The Platform, Shana Krakowski, said: "We are incredibly proud to have hosted this course here at The Platform in Neve Shaanan, opening doors of opportunities to marginalized communities. Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality believes that technology has the power to be a great equalizer and that diversity drives innovation. The dedication of the students in the course exceeded our expectations, with students never missing a class and improving their skills in such a short time. We hope this will be the first of many."
Fisseha Tsegai Tesfamichael, an asylum seeker from Eritrea who completed the pilot program, expressed hope that "to teach young people from my community and share with them what I know and have experienced. I want to give whatever little I have to marginalized communities – I can understand their difficulties. The journey of life is short, so let's make the world better together."
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