From Refugee to Senior Software Engineer: How Capgemini and CodeYourFuture Are Breaking Barriers in Tech

Limited digital skills are a huge barrier to employment for refugees and other disadvantaged groups. Madiha Khan, who came to the UK from Pakistan in 2006, knows that only too well. Yet for Madiha, the past six years have been a whirlwind. In 2020, she joined Capgemini after completing a technical skills training program, CodeYourFuture, aimed at helping people from disadvantaged backgrounds start careers in software engineering.

Madiha is now thriving as a senior software engineer based in London and was a finalist in the Women in Tech Excellence Awards. Her journey truly reflects the life-changing possibilities that Capgemini’s work with CodeYourFuture offers.

The Background

Capgemini has partnered with CodeYourFuture since 2019, with colleagues providing training and mentoring, as well as co-creating and developing the programs. Each year, Capgemini supports CodeYourFuture in delivering courses ranging from introductory to advanced coding. Graduate learners of the most advanced courses are also supported with employability skills, helping them gain skilled roles in the tech sector. Now Capgemini has reached a milestone: more than 100 graduate learners hired from the programs.

“Working here has changed me as a person,” she says. “I’d had a long career break to look after my children and wasn’t confident in my abilities, but Capgemini helps you develop your skills and find that support when you need it. That has played a huge part in getting where I am today.”

Madiha’s talents were recognized early when she was challenged to run a project intended to last two months. Its success under her leadership saw the project continue for three years. She has worked across schemes in the private and public sectors, mastering platform engineering, architecture, and DevOps. As a result of her proactive approach and ability to deliver high-impact results, Madiha was placed on an accelerated program, promoted twice in one year, and now works in a leadership role.

“I still turn my hand to coding,” she says, “but now I work in DevOps and am learning how we can integrate AI into our engineering workflows to speed up delivery. My passion is working with junior talent, helping people shape their careers and goals.”

Evolution of the Partnership

Also part of the colleague support team is Anahita Mahmoudi, a leader in business analysis within Capgemini UK’s digital customer experience team. She is a passionate, long-time volunteer and mentor for CodeYourFuture. “I started working at Capgemini in 2012 and have been involved with humanitarian and social-change initiatives for the past decade,” Anahita says. “I’ve worked with CodeYourFuture since the start in 2018.”

More than providing training, Capgemini’s involvement secures routes into tech careers for people who may otherwise never have had the opportunity. Students benefit from free childcare and course materials. The course content evolves to stay current and applicable to employer needs. It also helps by providing experience of work environments and building portfolios for job applications.

Recognition has followed, with the partnership winning awards in the tech sector and for its contribution to society and sustainability.

A further recent development has been the introduction of a dedicated business analyst training route, with Anahita leading on its co-design. “I’d seen how the program changes lives for people who want to become software engineers,” she explains. “Why couldn’t we also train future business analysts? We’ve already had our first cohort of business analysts graduate and join Capgemini. It’s another milestone.”

At a time when fewer software engineers are being hired across the UK, multitrack pathways such as this ensure the program remains aligned with real business needs.

Continuing the Good Work

Anahita’s experience has deepened her belief that businesses and individuals have a responsibility to give back to their communities – and will be rewarded for it. “I’ve supported CodeYourFuture with one-to-one mentoring, running soft skills sessions, and supporting student interviews. It has given me truly fulfilling moments,” she says.

Anahita would like to see the program expand internationally, reaching regions where accessing education is a struggle for young people. It’s about creating real humanitarian change through “our power for impact.”

For Madiha, that impact is clear. “In a simple way, it’s about removing barriers. The course is funded. Childcare is covered. They give you a laptop. It means there’s nothing to worry about, and you can sit down, focus, and start to achieve. That’s the beauty of it. And it’s about ensuring future cohorts of CodeYourFuture graduates are empowered by technology.”

For both, it’s a vision for the future that is more than a virtuous gesture – it’s a sustainable route forward delivering real and positive change. As Madiha puts it: “It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”