The programme is the second collaboration between CHAMS and Na’amal
The bootcamps are located by the Zaatari Refugee Camp and in Amman
30 March 2021, Amman and Mafraq, Jordan – UNHCR partner, CHAMS, has launched a coding
bootcamps with Na’amal for six months, to provide refugees and vulnerable populations with
the skills and networks needed to access dignified livelihoods through remote work. Through
coding, software development and soft skills training, students will graduate as junior full stack
web developers with a paid internship and personal mentor. The bootcamps, which include
thirty-three students including eighteen female students, 14 March 2021.
The CHAMS – Na’amal partnership enables a network of holistic support for refugee learners.
CHAMS will provide training using blended innovative methodology for coding, while Na’amal’s
“Workplace Readiness Programme” will teach learners the soft skills to navigate a remote (as
well as co-located) work setting. The curriculum will include interactive virtual workshops on
key skills for remote work on topics such as communication skills, time management, stress and
conflict management, and also individualized virtual English classes. Culminating in a six-month
paid internship, graduates will also have the support of a personal corporate mentor to further
develop their professional skills and networks.
“CHAMS has been operating in Mafraq, Jordan since July 2019 and has successfully accomplished
its pilot project; consequently, a group of 22 Jordanians and Syrian Refugees have benefited from
the project and were graduated as Full-Stack Web Developers. We welcome the cooperation with
Na’amal which will eventually create livelihood opportunities to refugees and youth from the
host community,” said Gamal Yacout, the Head of UNHCR Mafraq Sub Office, Jordan.
Discussing the importance of the programme, Na’amal Co-founder and Director, Lorraine
Charles said, “Skills training for work in remote contexts is essential to any worker in the
current digital economy, but even more so for refugees and other vulnerable communities
seeking to advance and sustain careers across geographic borders. Na’amal aims to provide the
opportunity for refugees and Jordanians to gain the skills to access dignified digital remote
work.”
“Despite COVID and the scarcity of funds, we are pleased to launch our two cohorts this year
with a new coding bootcamp in Amman, where 50% of Refugees are living. Through our
strategic partnership with UNHCR Jordan and Na’amal, we are convinced that learning how to
code and remote job soft skills, will set Refugees and vulnerable populations on the path for
sustainable jobs. The programme is also closely in line with growing regional ambitions to move
towards innovative digital economies” said Sofiane Ammar, Founder of CHAMS.
The rise of technology and remote work employment presents a unique opportunity to connect
and link refugees with the global economy through remote-based employment positions. The
global talent gap has been widely acknowledged. Many global companies struggle to find the
talent they need at a reasonable cost. A business case can be made for hiring refugees remotely.
The untapped workforce represented by refugees and other underrepresented communities,
who have been trained with technical and soft skills, could address the skills shortage. By hiring
refugees remotely, companies can save, benefit from having a diverse workforce, and at the same
time provide social impact.