Europe’s troubling skills gap is well understood within the private sector: more than three-quarters of companies in the EU report difficulties finding workers with the appropriate qualifications, while 44% of people in the EU and a third of Europe’s workforce lack basic digital skills. In Germany alone, there are 149,000 vacant positions in the information technology (IT) industry.

As a technology company deeply invested in Europe, HP has set itself the ambitious goal of accelerating digital equity for 150 million people by 2030. In 2021, the company began partnering with the ReDI School of Digital Integration in Germany to do just that.

The ReDI School is a non-profit technology organisation founded in 2015 to provide migrants and marginalised locals with free and equitable access to digital education. Each semester, the school trains more than 4,000 students in everything from computer basics and coding to advanced technology skills. The school also offers a career programme that includes mentorship, career workshops, company visits and job matching. The students – 65% of whom are women – come from 123 different countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Nigeria, Syria and Ukraine.

 HP employees – who receive four hours per month for volunteering activities – participate in the ReDI School mentorship programme, working with students one on one to define and achieve career goals, grow confidence in their professional skills and in many cases, adapt to their new country. In addition, HP has donated equipment such as headsets and laptops for the school’s ‘Kids and Teens’ courses, provided financial support to develop the ReDI Connect platform and integrated into the platform its own free HP LIFE courses.

Going forward, HP will continue to support the ReDI School’s mission, with an emphasis on the mentorship programme. Although this is the most time-intensive and challenging part of the company’s commitment, it is perhaps the most important. As noted by Bernhard Fauser, Managing Director for Central and Eastern Europe:

‘Getting a mentor can give your tailwind and be a real career booster since your mentor can open doors to their networks.’