“The funding from Sefa has been fundamental to the growth of 42 Adelaide. The team, their guidance and commitment to supporting 42 to make the largest impact, has been incredibly important. I personally have found the process to be very rewarding and the relationships we have established are wonderful.”
Louise Nobes, founder of KIK Innovation and 42 Adelaide, is driven to solving the complex issue of youth unemployment by providing access to high skilled education and jobs. ‘All young people can be great, no matter their background. Someone’s social status should not hinder them from learning’. 42 Adelaide is part of a network of fee-free coding schools with over 10,000 students in more than 20 countries. The school attracts diverse and disadvantaged people over 16 years old, upskilling and connecting them to companies to meet demand for IT roles.
42 was founded in France and its success is based on peer-to-peer learning, where students work on real projects. This pedagogy also supports students to enhance their interpersonal and soft skills including problem solving, critical thinking, self-discipline, and resilience.
42 Adelaide is the most recent initiative of KIK Innovation, led by Louise Nobes, an educator and purpose warrior. Since 2016, KIK Innovation has founded multiple social businesses, from a coffee brand to a cleaning service, all tackling youth unemployment.
A loan from Sefa assisted 42 Adelaide to establish its operations with working capital, specifically financing the purchase of computers. Sefa provided this loan under the Federal Government’s SME Scheme, which provides a 50% guarantee in the case of a default. The South Australian Government also supported 42 Adelaide as part of its Skilling SA program.
KIK Innovation has been embraced by the local community since 2016, which gave Sefa reassurance that 42 Adelaide would be another successful KIK initiative.
Since opening its doors in June 2021, 200 students have taken part in the four week coding bootcamps (know as piscines).
From the enrolled students:
25 young refugees who attended an inclusive expo at the school in July 2021, in partnership with Community Corporate and Multicultural Youth SA have enrolled to start at 42 Adelaide later in the year. Approximately 50 young people attended the event.
