Scholarships for Refugees – LevelUp

Now in its third year, Code Institute has been working with Zartis to offer scholarships for refugees across several European countries, including Ireland, Spain and Germany.

This CSR initiative is part of the LevelUp programme in partnership with Zartis and other education providers. Code Institute aims to upskill refugees and asylum seekers in software development by providing them with focused training and connecting participants with tech employers. 

Many successes have been achieved after participating in this programme for three years. It has assisted in placing students in tech roles with global employers like HubSpot, Ericsson and Starwood Hotels.

Code Institute’s programme is 100% online and offers students the flexibility needed in today’s world. In addition, it prepares students for the challenges and expectations of the current job market.

Xhuljana Shehu

One of our successful graduates was Xhuljana Shehu, who came to Ireland in 2016 as an asylum seeker. While Xhuljana already had a law degree, she could not use it in Ireland. So, she decided to look for training opportunities for in-demand skills that she could learn, use, and excel in. Below is part of Xhuljana’s story. 

Xhuljana’s Story

“I came to Ireland in 2016 as an asylum seeker. Although I have a law degree, I can not use it in Ireland. So, I started looking for training opportunities to give me skills I can use. 

In 2020 I saw an advertisement about the Zartis/Code Institute programme where they were offering ten scholarships for asylum seekers, and I applied for the programme. I was accepted, and I am very grateful for the opportunity I received.

During the course with Code Institute, I learned new coding and software development skills. The programme is tough, and I just had a new baby at the time, so I really had to work hard. Although I had never done any coding before, I found it is something I really enjoy, and it’s a great skill to have nowadays. 

I qualified recently, so I’m still working in my previous job, but I’m looking forward to making the career change as soon as I have the opportunity. I can see a better future for myself with a coding career.

Right now, I’m based in Cork, and I’m open to roles or opportunities as a junior software developer.”

Learning to code

Learning software development is incredibly important for the modern workforce. Now, more than ever, businesses need software developers. Code Institute teaches students how to code through their Full Stack Software Development programme. The course is 100% online, and its learning management system is intuitive and easy for students to understand and use. 

Code Institute’s course teaches the most in-demand skills to participants, including, but not limited to, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and more. The course also allows students to choose from one of three areas to specialise in after completing the full-stack area of the course. Those areas are; e-Commerce, Predictive Analytics, or ReactJS. These three areas are in huge demand, and knowing them will make our graduates even more attractive to potential employers. 

Career Support

Code Institute’s Career Accelerator Programme is designed to help students to land their new coding careers faster. The goal is to help you change your career. On the programme, you will have the opportunity to partake in:

• Over 100 hours of career coaching.
• Lifelong access to a personalised Career Professional.
• Access to the global careers campus.
• Collaborative Hackathons.

Software Tools

The cost of software tools can be prohibitive for most junior developers. So, Code Institute has partnered with 3rd party providers to give you access to over €50K of software tools so you can learn to develop like a pro.

Want to know more? 

If you want to apply for Code Institute’s scholarships for refugees and asylum seekers, the first step is to complete our free 5 Day Coding Challenge. This short, free course will teach you the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Then, after one hour a day, over five days, you’ll build your first web page. The challenge will show you if you have an aptitude for coding and will give you a glimpse of the learning management system used in the full-stack programme.