{"id":2234,"date":"2021-05-20T14:52:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T13:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/?p=2234"},"modified":"2022-10-10T15:41:18","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T14:41:18","slug":"changing-lives-through-tech-education-interview-with-becodes-karen-boers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/?p=2234","title":{"rendered":"Changing Lives Through Tech Education: Interview with BeCode\u2019s Karen Boers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tech education is a force for social transformation. We interview Karen Boers,\u00a0co-founder\u00a0&\u00a0CEO\u00a0of\u00a0<\/em>BeCode<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0a Belgian coding school\u00a0bridging\u00a0social divides\u00a0through tech education.\u00a0A social entrepreneur at heart, Karen\u00a0has\u00a0kick-started various\u00a0successful digital\u00a0transformation projects\u00a0over the years\u00a0\u2013\u00a0including the\u00a0<\/em>European Startup Network<\/em><\/a>, the\u00a0EU\u2019s\u00a0first network of national\u00a0startup\u00a0associations.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

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? Subscribe to the podcast<\/a><\/p>\n

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How did your professional career begin? How did you enter the tech space?<\/h2>\n

Well,\u00a0after some time in\u00a0HR,\u00a0I joined\u00a0what\u00a0at that point\u00a0was\u00a0a\u00a0brand-new\u00a0research institution focusing on software innovation. I joined as a management assistant, so absolutely nothing to do with the tech part of the company. But\u00a0it was a\u00a0burgeoning\u00a0institution,\u00a0and we grew quite rapidly.\u00a0I evolved into marketing and communications\u00a0and\u00a0took on HR as well for\u00a0a\u00a0research\u00a0staff of\u00a0one thousand people\u00a0across multiple universities\u00a0in our country.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We\u00a0worked\u00a0closely with\u00a0industry\u00a0partners to understand their needs and design\u00a0software solutions for real-life problems.\u00a0Not just economic problems, but also societal problems like\u00a0children\u00a0that have been ill for a long time and have been\u00a0isolated from the learning environment.\u00a0It\u00a0was the pre-Internet\u00a0era.\u00a0So,\u00a0we started working on solutions\u00a0for children to\u00a0have a virtual playground and play and chat with their friends. It was\u00a0really cool.\u00a0That’s\u00a0what got me interested in technology.\u00a0Not the technology\u00a0itself, but\u00a0how\u00a0it\u00a0can\u00a0offer\u00a0answers to\u00a0societal\u00a0problems and\u00a0bring\u00a0human-centred\u00a0solutions into the world.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Then you went on to create several business and career development projects, as well as Europe\u2019s first unified startup network. And at what point did you decide to dive into education and create BeCode?<\/h2>\n

I saw there was a huge war for talent<\/a> raging all over the tech world. Not just for\u00a0startups, but also\u00a0in\u00a0bigger companies.\u00a0During\u00a0one of\u00a0our\u00a0international missions to Kenya, we\u00a0visited\u00a0a\u00a0coding school\u00a0that was\u00a0taking people off the streets,\u00a0providing\u00a0them\u00a0housing, and giving them\u00a0the\u00a0training\u00a0to become programmers. They would then\u00a0introduce them to\u00a0European\u00a0startups\u00a0looking for new talents,\u00a0offering them as remote employees. And\u00a0I thought\u00a0\u201ccool idea, but\u00a0maybe\u00a0there are similar\u00a0solutions\u00a0to be found\u00a0closer to home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

If\u00a0we\u00a0cannot\u00a0find the right talents to join these companies, then\u00a0we’re\u00a0going to be in trouble. And\u00a0not only\u00a0from an economic point of view. We also have a huge societal problem with lots of people that are being isolated, cornered,\u00a0and that face a lack of prospects.\u00a0And, if we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0address that problem,\u00a0then\u00a0we have an even bigger issue coming up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Being the mother and stepmother of five teenagers, that was\u00a0kind of in\u00a0my face.\u00a0I thought \u201cif\u00a0I\u00a0don’t help\u00a0resolve these issues,\u00a0my children are going to be in huge trouble five to 10 years from now.\u201d\u00a0So,\u00a0for me, the sense of urgency was\u00a0pretty high.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0how\u00a0BeCode\u00a0emerged\u00a0from\u00a0my\u00a0multiple professional experiences.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

I had my love for education,\u00a0my\u00a0industry\u00a0experience, my experience in marketing,\u00a0and\u00a0my first steps as an entrepreneur.\u00a0It all came together into\u00a0a\u00a0bigger\u00a0project\u00a0where\u00a0we\u00a0basically go\u00a0hunt for untapped talent. We go look for people\u00a0who\u00a0are low-educated,\u00a0in\u00a0long-term unemployment,\u00a0of immigrant background,\u00a0etc. People\u00a0who,\u00a0for whatever reason,\u00a0are struggling in today\u2019s\u00a0job market today,\u00a0but\u00a0definitely not\u00a0for\u00a0lack of talent or\u00a0motivation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Join our community and find your next job in IT<\/a><\/p>\n

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How do you reach these at-risk people and help them realise and unleash the potential of a career in tech?<\/h2>\n

We go search\u00a0for\u00a0them. We try to inspire them into considering\u00a0ICT\u00a0as a career. Often, the problem is not that\u00a0they’re\u00a0not talented, but\u00a0rather that\u00a0they\u00a0don’t\u00a0know that\u00a0they’re\u00a0talented.\u00a0They’re\u00a0not aware of the potential they have. So,\u00a0there’s\u00a0a lot of awareness and evangelisation\u00a0to be done\u00a0with these audiences, to get them excited\u00a0about tech\u00a0and\u00a0consider such a career choice.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then we help them\u00a0through\u00a0really\u00a0hands-on\u00a0training programs.\u00a0Not through too much\u00a0theory, not through\u00a0listening to the\u00a0big\u00a0expert\u00a0who will tell you what to do, but\u00a0basically\u00a0through\u00a0trial and error.\u00a0We give you a small exercise,\u00a0a project,\u00a0then\u00a0something more complex, etc.\u00a0You have\u00a0a small group of peers and lots of resources that you can draw on.\u00a0Basically, nobody\u00a0reads a manual before they start solving a puzzle either, right? They just pick up the pieces. They try bits and pieces. And if it works, it works. And if it\u00a0doesn’t, you search for another solution.\u00a0That’s\u00a0what they do.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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What skills are you putting the focus on through your tech education programs?<\/h2>\n

The funny\u00a0thing\u00a0is that our tech education does not\u00a0actually focus on the tech skills themselves. I mean,\u00a0it’s\u00a0a means, but not an end. What we focus on mostly is teaching them how to learn in a technical environment, because whatever competency or programming language\u00a0teach them today, tomorrow the context and the technologies will have changed.\u00a0So,\u00a0they will have learned\u00a0basically nothing, or at least not how to continue developing themselves as professionals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s\u00a0why\u00a0we focus a lot on learning how to learn:\u00a0understanding where the resources are;\u00a0how you can apply them\u00a0to a use case;\u00a0what to do when\u00a0you get stuck;\u00a0how\u00a0to\u00a0build a network of peers where you can go and ask for advice;\u00a0how you look at examples and copy-paste, but not exactly copy-paste,\u00a0and debug, etc.\u00a0So,\u00a0it’s\u00a0much more about the soft skills and the learning process around technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Connect<\/a><\/p>\n

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In\u00a0the end, they come out with a basic set\u00a0of technical skills, but mostly\u00a0with\u00a0the ability to continue learning once they leave this\u00a0environment.\u00a0Especially because\u00a0in seven months you\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0learn everything.\u00a0So,\u00a0whatever they come across, they\u00a0will\u00a0have to keep learning for\u00a0probably the\u00a0rest of their careers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

And\u00a0that’s\u00a0what we hear from the companies that hire our graduates. It’s a combination of,\u00a0\u201cOK. It’s nice to have people with\u00a0a\u00a0different perspective\u00a0around\u00a0the table, but it’s also nice to\u00a0see that eagerness to learn and that ability to learn\u00a0and\u00a0be a problem solver rather than a bringer of problems.\u201d\u00a0Also,\u00a0the ability to resolve problems as a team and work towards goals together.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s usually your main piece of advice for those starting out with their tech education?<\/h2>\n

Always\u00a0dare\u00a0to fail. If you\u00a0don’t\u00a0try,\u00a0if you\u00a0don’t\u00a0experiment,\u00a0you’re\u00a0not going to learn.\u00a0When\u00a0you learn how to walk as a kid or even how to ride a bike, which is already a bit more complex, you\u00a0don’t\u00a0go sit down and read the manuals first.\u00a0You fall flat on your face at least a couple of times. But you get back up on your feet. You look at your parents to ask\u00a0\u201cwhat\u00a0exactly\u00a0did I do wrong?\u201d\u00a0And\u00a0maybe they\u00a0give you a little nudge left or right, and you try again. You do better. And\u00a0that’s\u00a0how we learn.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

It’s\u00a0our natural way of learning.\u00a0We\u00a0have to\u00a0accept that,\u00a0if we want to learn as adults, we also\u00a0have to\u00a0fall flat on our face a few times and hurt ourselves a little bit.\u00a0We\u2019ll\u00a0look at other people\u00a0for small tips and pieces of advice,\u00a0then take those and try again. And\u00a0that’s\u00a0OK.\u00a0It’s\u00a0not shameful to try something and not succeed\u00a0at\u00a0the beginning,\u00a0or even not to succeed at all.\u00a0But if\u00a0we\u00a0don’t\u00a0dare to venture\u00a0out there\u00a0and try, then we\u00a0will\u00a0get nowhere.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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What are some of the most incredible stories of personal transformation you have seen at BeCode over the years?<\/h2>\n

That’s\u00a0a\u00a0tough choice.\u00a0We\u00a0have\u00a0seen over 1,500\u00a0stories pass in front of our eyes, and many of them are\u00a0absolute\u00a0tearjerkers. I think the one that touched me the most was\u00a0that of\u00a0a female refugee. She spent two years trying to come to Europe\u00a0and had\u00a0asked\u00a0for asylum.\u00a0It was a\u00a0really rough\u00a0journey where she saw\u00a0a lot of hardship and people\u00a0suffering\u00a0around her. I\u00a0don’t\u00a0think she even dares to tell the people that she met here in Belgium.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

She\u00a0then spent another two years here going through the motions of becoming a refugee:\u00a0doing the paperwork,\u00a0learning the local language, etc. And then she came across\u00a0BeCode. She was so eager to learn.<\/p>\n

While she was with us, she was also trying to get her children,\u00a0who she had\u00a0had to\u00a0leave behind, over to the country. And she succeeded not only in finishing the programming course and securing herself a job, but also in getting her children here.\u00a0You could see\u00a0it\u00a0in her eyes\u00a0that\u00a0she was absolutely convinced that she was going to make this happen.\u00a0No was not an option. And she persevered. She had a rough time during the training at certain points, but she always saw it through and found a way out,\u00a0and she was\u00a0always\u00a0open\u00a0to helping other people.\u00a0When you see people like that graduate, secure a job, see them reunited with their children;\u00a0those stories, they stick with you for life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But I love helping the local people as well.\u00a0It\u00a0can be\u00a0equally rewarding\u00a0to\u00a0see somebody\u00a0who’s\u00a0been a truck driver for twenty,\u00a0twenty-five\u00a0years and started struggling with their back and\u00a0is not\u00a0able to drive the truck anymore.\u00a0That was\u00a0basically their\u00a0whole life. They spent their whole life in their truck and then,\u00a0all of a\u00a0sudden,\u00a0they’re\u00a0completely stuck.\u00a0If you can somehow make\u00a0them\u00a0see that there might be an alternative career for them through tech education,\u00a0an alternative future;\u00a0that can be a life-changer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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What new tech education projects is the BeCode team working on these days?<\/h2>\n

We\u00a0have seen\u00a0that,\u00a0for some, becoming a professional programmer is a good career choice. But for some,\u00a0it’s\u00a0a bridge too far,\u00a0and\u00a0that’s\u00a0okay.\u00a0Right\u00a0now,\u00a0we\u00a0are developing\u00a0a number of\u00a0shorter training programs,\u00a0so that they can just taste and try and then decide whether\u00a0it’s\u00a0something for them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

But\u00a0we are also working on programs to teach\u00a0people\u00a0basic digital skills,\u00a0how they can\u00a0survive in a collaborative workspace so that we all had to become acquainted due to the global pandemic.\u00a0Things like how to download your work schedule from the Internet as a factory\u00a0worker,\u00a0how to apply for your holidays\u00a0through an app instead of\u00a0by\u00a0writing\u00a0on\u00a0paper.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you look at recent studies,\u00a0the digital divide is mostly on those\u00a0digital skills.\u00a0Yes,\u00a0there’s\u00a0clearly\u00a0a shortage of programmers.\u00a0But the biggest problem is on\u00a0fairly basic\u00a0digital skills that really hamper people from being proficient as professionals\u00a0and in\u00a0their personal lives. And\u00a0that’s\u00a0a disaster.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you look\u00a0just\u00a0at\u00a0Belgium\u00a0\u2013\u00a0and\u00a0we’re\u00a0quite a developed country, aren’t we?\u00a0\u2013\u00a040 per\u00a0cent of all Belgians lack\u00a0the\u00a0digital skills to be proficient in what they do today. And,\u00a0if you look at low-educated people or people in low-paid jobs, that number rises to seventy-five per\u00a0cent.\u00a0So\u00a0there’s\u00a0a lot of work still to be done and not just on the programming side.\u00a0That’s\u00a0our conclusion and our path forward,\u00a0to include these people as well\u00a0and\u00a0not leave them\u00a0side-lined.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Check out more of our interviews from our podcast episodes.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Follow Karen on LinkedIn<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. <\/p>\n

You can connect with BeCode through their website<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>, Facebook<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tech education is a force for social transformation. We interview Karen Boers, co-founder & CEO of BeCode, a Belgian coding school bridging social divides. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[754,9,773],"tags":[554,525,557,441,555,521,579,556],"class_list":["post-2234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-us","category-featured","category-podcast-interviews","tag-becode","tag-behind-the-screens","tag-coding-schools","tag-interview","tag-karen-boers","tag-mindquest","tag-podcast","tag-tech-education"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2234"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6771,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234\/revisions\/6771"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-uk.mindquest.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}