Code Your Future (CYF) is a transformative, tech-driven education program dedicated to providing disadvantaged individuals with the skills and support to secure employment as software developers. Our training, led by professional tech sector volunteers, covers software development fundamentals along with professional development sessions, aiming to prepare our trainees comprehensively for the tech industry. Offering free classes, we work to eliminate barriers to education, such as poverty or lack of resources, thus opening doors to stable, rewarding careers in tech. CYF's impact is demonstrated by our alumni working in prestigious companies such as Slack, Capgemini, Thoughtworks, Deloitte, BBC, AWS, and more. Since our inception in 2016, we've empowered over 300 graduates, improving income potential and job stability for those most in need.

https://codeyourfuture.io/

• Africa
• Western Europe and North America

• People with disabilities
• The unemployed
• The poor
• Refugees and internally displaced people
• Remote and rural communities

Code Your Future's (CYF) solution possesses immense potential for scalability and replicability, leveraging our successful track record and the universal applicability of our approach.

Scalability: Since 2016, our core programme has scaled from one class of 6 people to over 220 active trainees across five regions. But as our curriculum is open-source and online, it is available to other communities to use as they need in their own contexts. We support multiple other orgs using our curriculum (MigraCode Barcelona, HMP Humber, HYF Belgium, and so on.) Our robust volunteer model further supports scalability by drawing on a renewable pool of tech professionals for instruction and mentorship. The ongoing need for tech skills worldwide ensures a continued demand for our services, allowing us to grow and scale in response.

Replicability: CYF's approach is highly replicable in other contexts and regions. The open-source nature of our curriculum means it can be freely adopted by other organisations or groups looking to run similar programmes. In fact, our courses are already being used independently or within other code schools. Our emphasis on reducing material barriers to digital education and employment, including providing necessary resources and covering associated costs, is a model that can be reproduced anywhere there's a need.

We have successfully replicated our programme in various UK regions, like London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Cape Town. Our collaborations with free code schools globally, including in Gaza, Roma, Medellin, Copenhagen, Brussels, and Barcelona showcase our model's replicability even in diverse contexts.

Our long-term goal is to empower more communities worldwide, both by scaling our existing programmes and supporting others to replicate our approach. This can only amplify our impact and accelerate the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals."

"Code Your Future (CYF) operates a free, part-time, practical, and vocational programme spanning at least nine months, designed for people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Implementation begins with an open application process, a course called ""Intro to Digital"", available free online. Once selected, our trainees embark on a comprehensive learning journey focused on functional programming, including React, Jest, Postgres, Node, and Express. They learn Agile methodology, teamwork, conflict management, and self-study skills. As a capstone, they deliver a full-stack web application, often developed for a partnering NGO. Beneficiaries are people living in poverty, refugees, asylum seekers, and forced migrants, disabled people, the long-term unemployed, ex-offenders, and single parents. We take down every barrier we can: we buy laptops, we get broadband, we provide childcare, we buy bus tickets to class, and food for lunch so our trainees have space and time to study. We have a dedicated team for post-graduation support. Our graduates receive job placement assistance, career mentoring, and can participate in specialised modules like Cloud training. An innovative programme, CYF+, prepares very high-performing trainees for highly paid roles in leading tech companies. Our approach is inherently digital, with a commitment to free and open-source education. All our courses and materials are available online, facilitating independent learning, enhancing global reach, and promoting the spirit of digital inclusion."