Oxford House are extremely proud to announce our partnership with MigraCode – a Barcelona-based charity which trains refugees and migrants in coding and computer skills. We are offering a group of MigraCode students free English classes to help build their dream careers and get them ready for the global world of tech. We spoke to Marta Hormaechea and Michaela Kwoka from Migracode to find out more.

What do MigraCode do?

MigraCode is a code academy with a difference. It offers eight month bootcamp courses to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. It’s absolutely free and run by a group of volunteers.

Alongside the bootcamp, MigraCode offers students extra classes to help them prepare for the world of work. Programmes such as Code Women and Code Buddy build the support network they need. They teach soft skills, teamwork and lessons in how to get a job in Spain. On top of this, MigraCode offers access to psychologists and legal advice.

One recent success story is one of their Syrian graduates – Rahaf Bayazi. After a difficult past, she gained permission to stay here in Spain. Her MigraCode course then helped her secure a job at Webhelp.

Rahaf Bayazi at her MigraCode graduation

How is Oxford House collaborating with MigraCode?

English is a global language and is a requirement for many tech jobs in Spain – even if the job is in Spanish. For this reason, students at MigraCode need a minimum level of English to get them through the course.

“A lot of the tech world is done in English. So it’s really helpful for them to have that basic understanding of English and is something they can take forward with them in their careers” Michaela said.

At Oxford House we have been offering free English classes to MigraCode students via our English Eco course. These are monthly online courses run by teachers in training from our Cambridge CELTA course. They are a great way to practise different skills while listening to different accents, and meeting people from all over the world. Here’s what the MigraCode students had to say:

Ward Obedi, Syria

Ward Obedi, who is 25, left Syria five years ago because of the war. He is now enrolled on the course at MigraCode and is learning English with Oxford House to help him find a job.

Zaquiel Mayorga, Venezuela

Zaquiel Mayorga, 24 from Venezuela came to Barcelona for a better quality of life. When we asked him about the English Eco course he said:

Farhana Tasnin Bipasha, Bangladesh

Farhana Tasnin Bipasha is 28 and from Bangladesh. She is learning English to be able to explore and interact with the global community. When asked about her experience on the English Eco course, she said:

Thiago Luiz Pereira, Brazil

Thiago Luiz Pereira, 29 from Brazil moved to Barcelona in 2018 to stabilize his life. He had already learnt a little English, but wanted to become more fluent.

How can you get involved?

If you’re a migrant in Barcelona and you’re looking to make a career change – apply to MigraCode. You don’t need a tech background, it’s free to join and you’ll get all the support you need.

MigraCode is also looking for volunteers. So, if you’re a coder or developer with some extra time on your hands, please contact them to find out how you can help.

Last but not least, if you want to improve your skills in English – join English Eco. It is an affordable English course, giving you the chance to practise your English with international students. And if you’re currently unemployed, the first month is completely free!

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Bootcamp (n): a short intensive training course.

Soft skills (n): a combination of social skills, communication skills and emotional intelligence.

Enrolled (adj): officially registered on a course.

Time on your hands (exp): to have a lot of free time.

Key

n = noun

adj = adjective

exp = expression

Study English at Oxford House Barcelona

Interested in taking an English course at Oxford House Barcelona? Check all of our different English courses, or contact us for more information.