Vocational Education Stream

Hassan Salem

SE Factory Lebanon

“I was the first cohort with SE Factory in 2019. It was an intensive course of 9-hour day, 5 days a week. I still had to work part-time, but I made it work. As hard as programming may be, learning the programming itself was the easier part. However, what I learnt is recruiters were no only looking for technical skills, but also skills needed in in the real world. How effective you are as part of a team, can you manage your time, communicate well with people, etc. We learnt what is required now in the programming industry”.

It broadened my mind, I learnt you do not need to start something from scratch when you can learn from others. I learnt to build on something that is already tested, in other words not to reinvent the wheel. It changed my mindset and how to view myself differently. I respect and listen to criticisms and different perspectives, I am not afraid of my weaknesses, on the contrary, I use it as an opportunity to learn and to continuously work on myself to improve. The Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund provided me more than an opportunity to learn, it provided me with an opportunity to grow and today I am proudly known as a Programmer. Hassan currently works in an HR Software Company in Germany. It was his first interview and he got accepted. “I never imagined I would be here. I am exposed to great experiences and technologies; I make sure not to keep this learning to myself. I share it with all my peers, so they can learn and benefit from it.

Ahmad Mahmoud

SE Factory, Lebanon

“It was almost near impossible to find a job after I graduated with a Computer and Communications Engineering degree through a scholarship. My sister who is my biggest inspiration, encouraged me to learn programming. I joined SE Factory a couple of months after my graduation. It was the best decision I made. I learnt how to code and to be a mature developer. But most importantly I learnt how to learn. We continued our learning during the pandemic, I learnt how to keep persevering and never give up, especially when it comes to education. I graduated in May 2020 and I received 8 job offers, which was overwhelming. I currently work remotely with a Software Company in France”.

I am grateful to the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund for this amazing opportunity, I would love to see it grow in the region. Employment challenges is not only in Lebanon, itis a challenge for Arab youth across the region. This program is not about teaching a subject, they work on the whole person, I value the Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund and SE Factory that taught me how to take responsibility, not only for our own sake, but for my community. Every problem has a solution, take it a step at a time.