In the 5 years since it opened in Da Nang, the Passerelles numériques (Pn) immediate school has become a ‘dream house’ for underprivileged young adults who have a strong passion for information technology (IT). 

The school, run by a French NGO, provides 2-year international-standard IT training courses for poor rural students from across the central region with the aim of helping them to develop their potential and willpower.  

Ms Vo Hoang Thuy Trang, Head of Pn’s Foreign Relations Department, said “Unlike other specialised IT training institutes in the city, Pn is offering access to educational opportunities for passionate and proactive students.  The school boasts courses featuring theory with practice.  Trainees also have the opportunity to develop their teamwork, presentation and English skills.”

Two of Pn’s students

Ms Trang added that 50% of the lessons taught at Pn focus on IT knowledge and skills, 25% are about soft skills, and the remaining 25% are English language classes.  Although many of the students are unfamiliar with the computers when they start their courses, they are proficient in IT after they graduate.  90% have found employment within a few months of graduating.

According to local IT businesses, most of Pn’s graduates have won the trust of their recruiters thanks to their good soft skills, professionalism, and English fluency, despite being trained for only 2 years.

The Director of FPT Software Da Nang, Mr Nguyen Tuan Phuong, reports that around 10% of his company’s employees are graduates from Pn.  They work as software testers and developers, or website designers. 

Next academic year, Pn will be upgraded into a junior college in order to provide more intensive training courses to help its students become even more professional and reliable IT engineers. 

Currently, Pn is working closely with the University of Da Nang and the city’s Junior College of Technology to design the intensive additional teaching programmes which will focus on soft and English skills, and actual IT projects.  The aim is to better meet the recruitment requirements of local businesses.