Sistech Italia ETS
Think Human Fund
Mission & History
Sistech Italia, founded in 2024, empowers displaced and refugee women through quality digital education and sustainable jobs. As a European leader in socio-professional integration, their innovative approach combines technical training, language education, mentoring, career guidance, and employer engagement.
Founded in France in 2017, Sistech has scaled its model across Europe, with a strong track record of success in diverse contexts. The Italian experience particularly showcased the organization’s ability to build local ecosystems, proving the soundness of its model.
Country Information
Europe hosts approximately 13 million refugees, half of whom are women and girls. In Italy, over 486,000 refugees, asylum seekers, and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection have been registered, among them many women and girls who face significant barriers to employment and autonomy due to unrecognized qualifications, language gaps, caregiving duties, and limited professional networks. Italy’s expanding tech sector presents opportunities, but refugee women remain underrepresented, highlighting the untapped potential to contribute to the digital economy.
The Need
Refugee women in Europe, despite their skills and determination, are often sidelined from the labor market due to systemic barriers. These include unrecognized qualifications, language difficulties, and caregiving responsibilities. This exclusion leads to wasted talents and limited social and economic inclusion. Sistech Italia addresses these issues by offering a holistic, co-designed approach that blends technical training, language education, mentoring, and psychosocial support, aiming to connect the talents of refugee women with concrete opportunities in the tech industry.
The Project We Fund
The project involves the development of Lena, an AI-powered platform designed to create personalized learning and career pathways for 265 refugee women. Lena will be integrated across Sistech’s training, mentoring programs and support services, aiming to empower women for professional inclusion and autonomy. Lena’s launch is set for early 2027, with a focus on refining its design and functionality based on participant feedback during the testing phase in 2026.
The Result
Sistech’s initiatives have yielded significant outcomes: 90% of participants complete programs with certifications in digital skills and language proficiency, while 70% secure employment or freelance opportunities within six months post-completion. This success is attributed to the integrated model of education and support, which ensures dignified work and social integration for refugee women. The organization’s approach has also reinforced gains in self-confidence, professional identity, and community engagement.
