As an entrepreneur and a founder of Wise Minds, I think it is important to give young people the chance to use their talents. To help them develop a skill with which they can go out into the wider world. Especially when these young people normally get few opportunities. But what drives me to do so?
Open doors help society
I came to the Netherlands from Iraq with my family. We started from a less-than-easy position but we were given incredible opportunities. In education and in the job market. The doors that were opened to us have been a blessing and joy
Over the years, I have seen that for many young people I have grown up with, those doors have remained closed. Or they have not been given the motivation to open those doors. It’s a shame that because of this lack of opportunity, some talent was lost.
I firmly believe that for many people, software development is a door that opens to an interesting world full of opportunities. I would love it if young people who normally get few opportunities in society, could take advantage of software development. I think this not only does something for society in a direct way, but also indirectly. Someone’s cradle may have been in a place with fewer opportunities but if that person then gets the chance, and ends up in a good situation out of it, it also does something to that environment. That person’s siblings, nephews or nieces, could become inspired. Or if that person has children, they might also get more opportunities. When you help someone in an environment where opportunities are scarce, and financial possibilities are often lacking, you’re not only helping the individual but also the people around them.
With the Wise Minds Academy, every talent is utilised
We want to offer young people opportunities to make the most of their talents with the Wise Minds Academy. This will be an accessible online course, where young people learn the tricks of software development step by step. With this, we want to send new talent into the world with skill. One that is also in high demand. After all, the demand for developers is incredibly high.
Young people with a migration background, from disadvantaged neighbourhoods and with small wallets are often not embraced in the labour market. We see in them talented young people. I think they can add great value to the labour market. If only they get the chance to use their talents. That is where we would like to play a role with the Wise Minds Academy. How exactly do we do that? More about that in the next blog ;).