Good practice Imported

#Hackeuses!

France · Montreuil · National · See the France profile

AIMS: The program, #Hackeuses!, lasting from 4 to 6 weeks, is aimed at women from 18 to 50 years old, mainly residents of low-income neighborhoods and rural areas, and women unemployed and/or without training. It aims at deconstructing mechanisms of self-censorship, digital illit

77%

Trainees with a positive outcome at 6 months (job or further training) (6 months post-training)

35%

Women among Simplon.co trainees

24%

Average share of women in digital trainings in France (comparison figure)

Simplon.co training centres in France

Simplon.co training centres abroad

2600+

Total trainees since Simplon.co's creation

Details

Maturity: Established
Promoter: Simplon.co — website
Type: Service
Status: Ongoing
Target groups: Unemployed and those facing social problems, Marginalised young people and children, Migrants
Period: 2016-11-21
Region (NUTS): FR10
Keywords: women, low-income, unemployed, rural, digital illiteracy

Context

Digital has been changing daily life for almost three decades, increasingly fast, and women remain largely under-represented in tech professions. Simplon.co is a social business that trains unemployed people, tuition-free, for in-demand tech jobs, prioritising people from disadvantaged areas and women.

Objectives

#Hackeuses! aims to deconstruct mechanisms of self-censorship, digital illiteracy and lack of self-confidence among women aged 18-50 (mainly from low-income neighbourhoods and rural areas, unemployed and/or without training), strengthening their access to digital training and jobs.

Activities

A 4-6 week hacker training course, reserved for women, provides an introduction to tech culture, discovery of digital professions, and acquisition of the basics of code, including key concepts of digital culture, agile working methods, and preparation to pursue further training (e.g. at Simplon) or work as web integrators/developers. Training is free thanks to training-fund partners; the certification is listed in France's National Directory of Professional Certifications.

Results

Simplon.co reports 77% of its trainees achieve a positive outcome (job or further training) six months after completion. It also reports that 35% of its trainees are women, compared with an average of 24% in digital trainings in France, and that it operates 37 training centres in France and 6 abroad (in Belgium, Spain and Italy), having trained over 2,600 people in total since its creation.

Conclusions

The practice's own account describes a positive impact on women, new job opportunities created for women, and the model as easy to transfer to other contexts.

Implementation

Indicative cost: Medium (€50k–€500k)
Time to results: Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills: 80 operational staff (Simplon.co, organisation-wide)

Conditions for success

Tuition-free funding via training-fund partners, removing the cost barrier for participants
Priority targeting of women from disadvantaged neighbourhoods, unemployed/untrained women, women in professional retraining, and non-EU foreign women
A national network of training centres (37 in France, 6 abroad) enabling delivery at scale
Partnerships with impact investors and public funders (France Active, Caisse des Dépôts/Banque des Territoires, Phitrust Europe, Amundi, Solidarité, Mirova, INCO, Aviva Impact, Crédit Coopératif)