The technology market continues to grow exponentially; however, it still stands out as one of the least diverse. Focused on this, and seeking to empower people with disabilities to ensure employability, as well as to promote innovation and economic development in Brazil, Microsoft relied on the educational support of SoulCode Academy, a Brazilian edtech whose purpose is to democratize digital education, generate social impact and digital inclusion, in order to expand the training of PWDs for the technology market.
The partnership integrates Microsoft Conecta+, a portal that brings together all of the company's free training and retraining programs, and by the end of June, it had trained around 30 students with disabilities in a Bootcamp focused on Cloud Concepts and Artificial Intelligence in the Microsoft Cloud.
“The initiative with SoulCode is in line with Microsoft's objective of training the Brazilian population in technology and having a diverse team on its staff, which brings different perspectives to the business and innovates based on their individual experiences”, said Cristiane Carvalho, human resources director at Microsoft Brazil.
Empowering with inclusion has already transformed realities
The students participated in 100% online and live classes, from Monday to Friday, full-time, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., for 12 weeks. In addition to technical training, the program also included mentorship from Microsoft professionals, development of behavioral skills, and one hour of English classes daily for each participant through SoulCode's Tech English platform.
“The course gave me the opportunity to learn technology and gain a career, and it also made me a better person. I learned about important techniques for the technology scene, but I also improved my ability to work in a group and even learned about the importance of inclusion,” says Alexandre Caus Haddade, diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
“I was always delegitimized and afraid of contact with other people, but it was incredible how receptive the teachers were and how I was respected. The training allows me to work and seek dignity, in addition to the possibility of growth as a professional,” says Bruna Gago, a transgender woman, who stutters and was diagnosed with ASD.
“People who deviate from the norm do not have the opportunity to choose a job and, from the moment we get a decent job thanks to our qualifications, we start to have prospects for professional growth”, continued Bruna.
“When we think about technology, we still think about cis, white men without disabilities. As a person with disabilities and aware of my social background, I knew that I would need to dedicate myself more than others and I received all the support I needed to do so during the bootcamp,” says Bruna.
“Inclusion is still in its infancy in the technology market, and training opportunities like Microsoft and SoulCode are a demonstration of this struggle. A person with Autism Spectrum Disorder is not better or worse than anyone else, they are just a person with a different vision, and this can be very important for a company,” says Alexandre.
