Changers Hub works to democratize success
Changers Hub is an innovation house divided into two hubs, one in Alby and one at Stureplan. By offering trainings, a co-working space, inspirational lectures and other events, Changers Hub wants to democratize success. The programming training in collaboration with TechSverige is one way to approach that goal.
Changers Hub was founded in 2015 by Amanias Abraha, Siduri Poli, Victoria Escobar and Fares Hamed. The four founders conducted a feasibility study together with Botkyrka Municipality, Vinnova and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, which concluded that three conditions are necessary for young adults from Stockholm's outer suburbs to realize their dreams: inspiration, knowledge and networks. Today, all Changers Hub activities are based on these three points.
The vision is to democratize success
- The whole vision of Changers Hub is about democratizing success to empower young people to influence their future regardless of their starting point. By building a network of young people who want to realize themselves, we hope to achieve this, says Astrid Kjær Knudsen who works with Business Development and Partnerships at Changers Hub.
When Changers Hub started, it offered entrepreneurship coaching and personal finance training in a small room in Alby. Now, Changers Hub has several hundred square meters of premises divided into two hubs and now also offers two co-working spaces, a programming course, study visits and the opportunity to use a music studio for those who are members of Changers Hub.
- We operate at the intersection of tech, culture and entrepreneurship. It is free to become a member and as a member you can take part in all the activities we offer. We work with low thresholds so that more people can access knowledge," says Astrid Kjær Knudsen.
Changers Hub's target group is young adults from Botkyrka and other suburban areas of Stockholm aged 16-30. Changers Hub currently has around 1500 members. Changers Hub noticed that TechSverige was very active in the issue of skills supply and contacted them to see if there were any opportunities for cooperation. This resulted, among other things, in the Changers Tech programming training program.
- We are working with change and want to take advantage of the innovative power that exists in Sweden. Since TechSverige represents the entire tech industry, we want to create a meeting between our members and TechSverige's members. For us, it's about the fact that there is a gap between the ambitions and the opportunities that our members have. We want to be able to bridge that gap and having TechSverige, which is a strong player in the industry, as a partner can help us along the way," says Astrid Kjær Knudsen.
Changers Tech
The Changers Tech programming training course was created by Benette Seck, the concept leader of the course, together with Changers Hub and kicked off on March 5 this year. The training is both about giving participants an opportunity to learn practical skills in front-end development and a broader understanding of the tech industry. Binette Seck explains why the training is so important.
- I myself grew up in the Järva area and know how important it is for people who, for example, sit on the bus and go past the large IT companies in Kista, to know that it is not impossible to work at one of those companies. But the training is also important from a business perspective. There is a great need for front-end developers, which is why we chose to focus the training on that particular skill.
Changers Tech is a progressive training program that starts with the most basic concepts, and then builds up knowledge gradually. Participants learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript, among other things, but also benefit from inspiring guest speakers who are woven into the training. The training is taught by four teachers who are young, newly arrived graduates, which was a conscious choice by Changers Hub.
- In order to add value, it was important to find sharp teachers who knew the subject and were still working as front-end developers. Besides the fact that we wanted the teachers to be younger people, it was also important that they could contribute with an international perspective. By having teachers with international experience, it further helps to show that working in tech is not defined by borders in the same way as many other industries," explains Binette Seck.
Of the 25 people who have attended the training, 75% have post-secondary education, 30% have a background in programming and 75% of the participants are young women. The average age of the participants has been 26 years and almost all participants have been Swedes of foreign origin. The final part of the training is currently underway and the evaluation shows very satisfied participants.
Through TechSverige's involvement, participants are exposed to the industry and have an opportunity to build relationships that can lead to future job opportunities. The collaboration with TechSverige therefore gives Changers Tech participants an opportunity to expand their network, which is a very important element of the training.
- The engagement we have seen and benefited from, for example through one of the guest lecturers, has been exceptional. We would like to see our cooperation develop even further for the next round of training," says Binette Seck.
With the Changers Tech training, Changers Hub aims to train around 20 front-end developers on an annual basis. Interest in the training has been high, with more than twice as many applications as the number of places on the course.
- Changers Tech creates both societal benefits for the participants in the training, while also providing business benefits for the business community, as there is a great need for this expertise. It is a very important function that Changers Hub fulfills, says Binette Seck.
