3 Reasons Why Tech Training Works for Refugees

Throughout the second week of December 2024, pictures filled our screens with scenes from Syria and the roads leading home from Lebanon and Turkey. With the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, many of the more than 5 million Syrian refugees living in neighboring countries are eager to return home.

The UN states that around 270,000 Syrian refugees have made their homes in Iraq since being forced to flee. The vast majority of those refugees live in the Kurdish region and have bided their time with fellow Kurds.

As we talk with our Syrian friends about their hopes for the future, we are reminded of why WorkWell’s mission is so vital for those we’ve hosted as students, including many Syrian refugees in Kurdistan: to bridge the skill gap in tech for those experienced interrupted education and lives can pave the way for careers in the tech industry and a bright future.

Reason 1: Tech skills can be taken anywhere.

We’ve had the privilege of training young people in tech skills and English across the country, including through our current virtual classes. The skills learned–from using AI apps and Photoshop to writing a resumé and creating an effective elevator pitch–can be used to earn an income right here in Iraq, back in Syria for those who choose to return, and can be used anywhere else in the world.

Borders can’t hold back learned tech skills.

Reason 2: Tech skills can’t be taken away by any military, and can’t be looted.

Millions here have experienced the losses that happen during war, on top of the tragic losses of life: land and homes that were intended to be passed down in families are stolen or destroyed, generations-old orchards are burned, and investments are looted. Everything tangible is at risk.

Refugees who get the chance to study and improve their skills receive an investment that can’t be taken. Skills in tech and English help refugees earn a living for their families from that day forward. Knowledge isn’t vulnerable to those who profit from the tragedy of others.

Reason 3: When bombs send communities back decades, tech skills keep communities moving forward.

It’s true that even if all violence ceased today, it would take decades or longer to rebuild what has been lost in war. Some places, once vibrant communities, have been reduced to nothing but rubble. Those places that will be rebuilt will need to focus on the basics: removing munitions, recreating infrastructure and utilities, and rebuilding homes, schools, and hospitals.

If communities are focused only on restoring what has been destroyed, they will fall behind a world hurtling forward. But if some residents have the skills to rebuild communities for the future, they will be able to keep moving forward.

Those with skills to create websites, online marketing campaigns, and virtual communities don’t have to wait for perfect infrastructure or finished neighborhoods. They can create and support local businesses in the time it takes to rebuild.

The Post-War Future

We’ve seen the power of tech training to help families meet their physical, psychological, and social needs. We’ve seen the WorkWell community become a home for people from a wide range of backgrounds and faiths, all in pursuit of a future where they can be employed with work they enjoy and are skilled in.

We are more convinced than ever that equipping young people–including refugees–with skills that transcend the realities of rapid change and war is the best preparation for the future. With new skills comes resilience. And with the confidence that comes with being prepared for job interviews or pitches, comes a restored sense of agency.

To our friends from Syria, Iraq, and beyond—we’re with you.

(Photo caption: A destroyed neighborhood in Aleppo, Syria. A quarter of a million Syrians fled to Iraq during Syria’s civil war. ©European Union, 2022. Photographer: Anouk Delafortrie)