Erin Wilson 
“Our freelancers are doing excellent! Halat, one of this amazing, talented group, got a job at one of the biggest furniture companies in the city as a sales manager! We are so proud and happy to hear such news.”
We got this note from Zheen, a training coordinator and accounting teacher in one of our IT hubs, and it perfectly sums up what our IT programs are all about. For more than a year you have helped us create tech centers where young Iraqis and Syrians–shut out of education, the job market, and hope because of war–have found skills, confidence, and jobs!
Class sessions are packed full of learning opportunities, but there’s still time for fun. Our students come from a range of cultural and faith backgrounds, and wouldn’t ordinarily get the chance to meet peers outside their own communities.
Making friends, developing a wider understanding and empathy, and learning to trust those you don’t know in vulnerable moments–like being brave enough to look silly in a culture that elevates honor–these are the steps that lead to peace.
“I’m really proud of my students. Another one of the students got a job.” Rawa, a coach at one of our tech centers, was thrilled to share the news from his class. “Hussein [pictured below, in a teal t-shirt] is one of the Freelance students. He used to work as a laborer before. Now he has a job in an office which is really organized. He works as a social media administrator in a real estate company.”
Freelance workers have already finished basic and advanced IT classes. They have the skills they need to work in the digital marketplace. What they need–and what they receive– is tailored coaching to successfully land a job.
“Our job is jobs.” That’s the slogan for our tech centers, and it is reflected in every level of programming that takes place. Our tech centers are not training programs—they are job centers which provide training. The emphasis is squarely on jobs.
“Nada and Salam are from the Basic IT class. Both of them found jobs with a local organization. They told me, ‘We went to the interview and we nailed it! Because we practiced [interviewing skills] during our time at WorkWell, we were very confident about ourselves.’” Hiba, an IT instructor who was excited to share her students’ success, has seen what it takes to transform curriculum into mastered skills.
“Great news!” Ziad, an IT instructor, shared an update from his class recently. “Today is the first day of Ribar’s job in IT at the university. He was very happy to be part of this course. He was telling me how this course has changed his life—not only to gain IT and English skills, but also to make him ready to challenge life in the real world.”
This is what our tech centers are all about. Skills and jobs that give hope, and lead to positive life change. With care and investment, the shadow of war can be dispelled with the bright light of opportunity and a future.
