Our actions in Vietnam
Launched in 2010 in Da Nang,Passerelles Numériques Vietnam (PNV) offers a 3 year IT training programbased on a holistic educative approach including technical and soft skills, and a personal development program. Our students come from different remote areas, and some come from ethnic minorities.
Context
The UNDP report recorded in April 2020 shows that the proportion of households living below the poverty line increased from 11.3% to 50.7% due to the COVID pandemic.
With 55.5% of Vietnam’s population under 35 years old, today’s generation has the best chance to end poverty and serve as an engine for the global fight against inequality.
Yet despite efforts to eradicate poverty in the country, over 50% of young adults aged 16 to 20 still lack access to education.
Key Dates
- 2022: PN Vietnam celebrated its 10th batch of graduate
- 2020: PN Vietnam celebrated its 10th anniversary.
- 2017: Started a new partnership with Danang Vocational Training College to launch a 3-year training program with 3 majors: Web Development, Mobile Development, and Automation Testing.
- 2016: Launched a new training program with Danang College of Technology (now Danang University of Education & Technology).
- 2015: PN Vietnam celebrated its 5th anniversary.
- 2014: PN Vietnam became a completely independent operation.
- 2013: Moved to two majors: Software Development (DeV) and Web Development & Testing (WeB). WeB replaced System and Network Administration (SNA).
- 2012: 1st graduated class of 27 students.
- 2010: Launch of PN’s 3rd program in Da Nang with 30 students.
Impact
Since 2010, PN Vietnam has transformed the lives of nearly 700 underprivileged youth through IT education.
PNV has contributed to enhancing the employability of underprivileged youth. Additionally, based on the PNV Alumni Survey conducted in March 2024, 95% of our alumni have found qualified jobs after graduation with an average salary of ~$876 per month – which is 5 times higher than Vietnam’s statutory minimum wage per month in 2024. Since at least 50% of our students are female and more than 87% of our female former students are still working in the IT sector, we have also positively impacted gender equality in the high-tech industry.
PNV’s impacts have been felt far beyond our graduates themselves. Prior to graduation, their families’ average monthly incomes were only about USD35 per person – about one-fifth of the national average income (USD184/person/month – according to the General Statistics Office’s Population Living Standards Report 2021). 454 of our alumni reported that they were spending 24% of their income (USD209/month) to support their families and sustainably lift their families out of poverty. By doing so, the living standards of more than 2000 underserved people in Central Vietnam have been improved in various fields. With 54% of graduates financially supporting their own siblings’ higher education, we indirectly guarantee the inclusive and equitable quality of education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all segments of society.
In the past decade, PNV was honored to receive 11+ certificates & awards for its contributions to bringing over the development of the underprivileged community from the Vietnam Association for Promoting Education, The People’s Committee of Danang – Quang Nam – Quang Ngai, The Service Center for Da Nang Foreign Affairs and American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam.
batches of students
direct beneficiaries
batches of graduates
alumni
%
graduates have qualified jobs
%
graduates working in the IT sector
average monthly salary of the graduates (VND), about 876USD
%
alumni financially supporting their families
%
of their incomes are sent back to their families monthly ~ 209USD
indirect beneficiaries
Selection
Each year, from January to August, Passerelles Numériques Vietnam’s selection team completes a rigorous, four-step process to select talented and motivated underprivileged youths from seven provinces in Central Vietnam: Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Kon Tum, Bình Định.
PN Vietnam collaborates with Study Promotion Associations (SPAs) from each province, who introduce us to local high schools and facilitate the process in accordance with local laws and customs. We conducted career orientation sessions for hundreds of underserved students to raise awareness about the importance of tertiary education in eradicating poverty and hunger. More importantly, we encouraged female students to apply for our program by showcasing the statistic that women are as equally competent at studying IT as men, and it is easy to find a decent job with IT qualifications in the digital era.
A special effort is made to include at least 50% young women in each class. Beyond that, priority is given to the poorest students irrespective of sex or gender identity.
Training and education program
Passerelles numériques Vietnam currently collaborates with Danang Vocational Training College on curriculum design and training delivery. At graduation, students receive a college degree, recognized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, as well as a certificate diploma from Passerelles numériques.
Our holistic program aims to endow students with the hard and soft skills necessary to become future IT experts. This coupled with a college degree ensures they are able to obtain stable, qualified, and well-respected jobs, bringing them another step closer to ending the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families.
A solid technical and practical 3-year training in Software Development & Testing
We train our students to be well-rounded, developing all the skills they need to become experts at the best IT companies. To this end, PN strongly supports learning by doing, which is why all of our IT topics include at least 50% lab-practice time.
Our program includes:
- Focus on Java development using up-to-date platforms for both web & mobile, as well as PHP development via practice and project implementation.
- Learning based on practice and projects throughout, to better build fundamental technical skills.
- Specialization Module: selected by each student in the third year of the program. These modules are taught directly by IT companies’ experts in their fields to help bridge the gap between our program and companies needs. Current specializations offered are Automation Testing, Web Design, and Mobile Programming.
General training in professional skills
PNV is the only NGO in Vietnam that offers free 3-year vocational training programs in the information technology domain, consisting of 50% IT subjects, 25% English, and 25% soft skills. We also provide additional curricula to enhance graduates’ employability. Designed to match local company needs, it focuses on IT practice via practical projects, English language, professional and soft skills (logical thinking, autonomy, initiative, etc.).
English occupies a central place in PN training approach. With the target of TOEIC 500+, PNV is aiming for students to be able to listen and read with ease. An intense focus is made on communicative English with classes stressing pronunciation and speaking throughout the whole curriculum. English is considered an essential tool: PNV trains students to have adequate IT vocabulary and the confidence to use it in front of foreigners.
Soft skills are life-long learning to help students work effectively in companies while using organizational tools (Google-suite, Coggle, Trello) with ease. Four modules – Learning to Learn, Job Application, Professionalism, and Thinking & Mindset – are built to make sure the students can maximize their employability after graduation. At the end of the training program, they have the chance to develop their start-up ideas in the Entrepreneurship Program lasting from November to March.
Students have the opportunity to put into practice their skills during two internship periods:
- Second year: 2 months to identify a working environment
- Third year: 5 months to put into practice their IT skills and soft skills, as well as join real projects as a first step to the professional world.
Social and educational development
To prepare these young people to become mature and independent adults, we developed a personal development curriculum that revolves around PN’s values: Trust, Responsibility, Solidarity, and Respect.
As part of this program, students live together in dormitories, located near PN Vietnam, where they learn how to become autonomous and responsible adults. They are in charge of managing a budget with which they buy food, pay for the water and electricity bills, organize cleaning and cooking shifts, solve group issues and take care of each other.
In order for our students to focus on their intense studies, PNV covers their needs and expenses including:
- Training expenses: University tuition fees, extra classes, technical equipment, etc.
- Living expenses: accommodation in dormitories, furniture and equipment, food, transportation (students receive a bicycle and a helmet each), medical care and health insurance, etc.
Our alumni
Since 2010, more than 400 young people graduated from Passerelles Numériques Vietnam and joined the alumni association.
Founded in 2012, PNV Alumni Association have been active since Fall 2014. Members take part in many activities such as welcoming and guiding new students, supporting the Graduation Ceremony, attending the Career Orientation Session, holding football contests with PN Vietnam current students, attending the Year-end party, etc.
PNV Alumni Association also closely supports the External Relations department in the guidance to employment program (internship and job search), as well as fundraising activities on special occasions.
Testimonials of PNV-ers
As a girl, many people once questioned my choice to pursue an IT major. They said I should choose other career paths, like becoming a teacher or a tour guide, that I would never be as good as boys in IT. At that time, I did not know how to answer. I just knew that I wanted to follow this dream no matter what. I believed that if I tried, I could do it. I chose PN as the place to nurture that dream.
Hoai NGO THI MYThe IT world is full of machines and AI, and so can be characteristically cold. Through PN I have rediscovered the human side of technology. With every smiling face or curious question, PN students remind me why I learned to code. Computers are fascinating! Tech progress is exciting! Here at our campus in Vietnam, we are turning students who grew up on farms–some having never touched a computer in their lives before joining us–into engineers. And we’re having fun doing it, why not?
Lucas SINRODWe were the first batch in the expansion to a full three-year training program. We had more time to learn the cutting-edge technologies that companies need. We developed our soft skills that helped us in our career paths. Moreover, the Specialization module and the final internship boosted my employability. Now, I’m proud to say that I can provide for myself and my family. I feel more motivated to give back to the community through the PN Vietnam Alumni Association.
Cuong NGUYEN HUUHow they talk about us?
PN and PNV featuring on Vietnamese national television VTV4
Main partners supporting PN Vietnam
PN Vietnam values partnering in sharing knowledge and strength to give the best to our students. Partnerships are either financial through grants and in-kind donations, human with skills sponsorship programs, or pedagogical.
Other local partners
