Approximately 1 in every 7 people worldwide lives with a disability today, according to the United Nations. That’s almost 15% of the global population. Of those, 80% of people with disabilities who are of working age are currently unemployed.
Education is a driver for social and economic inclusion, and making sure these spaces are accessible is fundamental. Fostering educational opportunities for people with disabilities in IT doesn’t just promote their professional development, but it is also key to building a more diverse industry.
As part of our efforts to keep building a more inclusive and diverse workforce, Globant is currently promoting educational programs which will provide people with disabilities the opportunity to develop in IT, with the horizon of inclusion in the technological industry.
Testing Bootcamp with the Bensadoun Laurent Foundation
The Bensadoun Laurent foundation has been working for 7 years to generate programs to foster the social inclusion of people with disabilities in Uruguay. Their aim is to build a more inclusive society. One of their lines of work consists of carrying out professional development initiatives, with an emphasis on workplace inclusion. Understanding the doors the tech industry can open, last year, they began training young adults in basic IT skills, free of cost.
“Since the first moment we met the Bensadoun Laurent students, we were so excited we just knew we had to make this happen,” says Julieta Estofan, Recruiting Lead in Globant Uruguay. “The students have so much potential, we are sure they will turn into great professionals in the industry.”
This year, the Globant and Bensadoun Laurent teams worked together, engaging in conversations on content, the course structure and how to deliver training, and possible adaptations required. Finally, what started out as an idea became true. At the end of April, we will kick off a testing bootcamp for young students of the Bensadoun Laurent Foundation. This bootcamp will entail over 250 hours of training, including topics related to testing, communication skills, advice on joining the industry, and English for IT.
“Training and entry-level professional opportunities are fundamental to everyone. Unfortunately, for people with disabilities, it is often difficult to find educational programs that take into consideration each person’s diversity. This difficulty is heightened when entering the labor market. Finding companies willing to tear down stereotypes and accompany people with disabilities in their development is very important,” says Gabriela Barrios, Technical Director at the Bensadoun Laurent Foundation. “The educational program with Globant will be a great learning opportunity for everyone involved, we are looking forward to it.”
Autismo Tech: training neurodiverse people in Brazil
Globant will be sponsoring the third edition of Autismo Tech, an innovative program to train neurodiverse people in IT. The aim is to empower and provide a clear route to joining the industry. This initiative is being organized by FIAP, a cutting-edge technological education institution, and aTip, a Brazilian startup. This is done in collaboration with Inclusão Humanizada, an organization specialized in promoting the work placement of people with autism.
This program consists of training, without cost, 60 people for 11 weeks. They will be trained in one of three technology areas: Game development, Salesforce, and testing and quality assurance. Trainees will be trained in technical and soft-skill curricula, and have access to mentors from several IT companies, including Globant. At the end of the training stage, 150 people will participate in a week-long hackathon, including the 60 trainees.
“Organizing an event like Autism Tech is amazing! It is a genuine chance to offer opportunities to the neurodiverse community,” says Caio Bogos, CEO and Founder of aTip. “Companies that join us, like Globant, have a will to better understand neurodiversity and work on this community’s effective inclusion. On behalf of aTip, I am very proud and happy with this partnership!“
Registration is currently open and will be closed at the end of June. After that, selected trainees will begin their technical training in mid-July.
Disabilities: awareness as a tool for change
Disability today is the result of the interaction between a medical impairment, either temporary or permanent, and social and environmental barriers that constrain a person’s active participation in society. So it’s not just the impairment, but it’s relation to a person’s unique context which makes up a disability.
Inclusive workplaces are built step by step, by means of joint efforts with a common vision in mind: ensuring a space where everyone feels welcome and supported, and is comfortable being who they are. In addition to promoting educational and professional opportunities, enabling awareness spaces to learn and understand diversity is crucial to building a culture of inclusion.
With this in mind, we launched Be One of a Kind, a community where people can connect and feel welcomed, embrace their diversity, and inspire others through their uniqueness. We invite you to become part of this global movement, harnessing the power of authenticity in every step.
