Help 5,000 Ukrainians who lost their jobs start a new career in IT 

“Few weeks before the war, I started a new job as a barista. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to get all the skills needed for this work and lost it because of a Russian invasion of my country. I always wanted to have an opportunity to work in any part of the world, but now I understand I need it because you never know what might happen to your home. Of all digital professions, I prefer coding and specifically Java, since I know it is one of the most needed programming languages in the world.”

“Before the war in Ukraine, I worked in a store with vegetarian goods. I was in love with my peaceful life and mostly with my city which is now ruined by the Russian occupants. I was forced to leave my native country and move to Austria. Though Austria provides a strong refugee program, I’m in great need of a new digital profession. It’s the second time in three years when I lost my job due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the disaster that now falls on Ukraine.”

“Just before the war, I worked on relocating our business of dyeing metal products from Kyiv to the Zakarpattia region. On February 23, I completed our relocation, and we were ready to start a new project. We planned to renovate a cable car. Unfortunately, on February 24, the war started. My director and I understood that we no longer had a job by the end of the day. My set goal in 2022 was to start the programming course. But all my plans were disrupted by the war. Now all the money I saved for education serves as a survival budget.”

“Before the war, I was an editor on a political TV channel and also worked as a bartender on weekends. There is always a job in the media, even during pandemics and holidays. But the war is merciless, and companies had to cut most of their employees, mine included. Bars, for apparent reasons, also stopped working. So from two jobs now, I have none. I want to learn the digital profession because it’s mobile and easily available for everyone.”

“Before Russia started the war in my country, I worked all my life in the beauty industry in different positions: as a make-up artist, a stylist, then as a hair braider. Last year I opened my own beauty studio in Odesa. Due to the war, most of my employees went abroad, there was no supply of the necessary materials, and most of the regular customers emigrated too. So I lost my job and my dream, which I had been pursuing for many years. The studio had to be shut down. Now I realize I want my job to be independent of the instability of our world. I want to rely on myself, my knowledge, and the computer at hand. And Java is the language that I want to learn to speak.”

“Until February 24, I worked as a photographer at one of the largest photo stock companies. Then, when the fighting started in my city, I had to leave. Now I am in a small village outside the city where there is no opportunity to work or grow professionally. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to earn money for my professional photo equipment. And now, because of the war, I lost not only my job but also the dream work that brought me income for a living. Java is a huge opportunity not to depend on the situation and companies. Java is my chance today to have the means to exist regardless of life circumstances.”