HOW TO INTRODUCE PASSERELLES NUMÉRIQUES VIETNAM
Our organization’s name is in French, and it translates to “Digital gateways” in English.
In French, it should be pronounced as pass-uh-rel nu-me-rik /pas.seˈrɛl.les :nymeʁik/.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide education, technical- and professional- training in the digital sector to young underprivileged people by leveraging their potential and willpower. We endeavor to truly develop their employability which will allow them and their families to escape poverty in a sustainable way and contribute to the social and economic development of their countries.
Our objectives
PN’s objective is that at least 90% of the students enrolled in our programs can escape poverty, be professionally more successful relative to the national average and take advantage of a ‘Gateway for Life’.
PN’s additional objective is to reduce inequality between genders. Therefore, PN strives to enroll a ratio of at least 50% girls (or a maximum of two-thirds) at each of our centers.
Ambassador Statement
PNV is a nonprofit organization that contributes to poverty reduction and socioeconomic development by providing free digital education for the most disadvantaged youths in Vietnam to increase their employability and income.
Elevator Speech
“I am an ambassador for Passerelles numériques Vietnam, an NGO in Da Nang city. For the past 12 years, we have helped more than 2000 underprivileged people in Vietnam escape poverty through free vocational training in technology. After 3 years of study at our center, 96% of our graduates successfully secured qualified jobs.”
Formal introduction speech
“I am an ambassador for Passerelles Numériques Vietnam. Our non-governmental organization actively promotes the digital inclusion of underprivileged young students in higher education. What makes our project unique is the 3-year IT vocational training at our organization, a decent amount of time for students to master software engineering, along with intensive English and soft skills.
Through 13 years of operating in Vietnam, our program has created positive social impacts on underserved communities, as 96% of our students have secured qualified jobs in companies, mostly in the IT sector. NINETY-SIX PERCENT! Of those graduates, on average, our alumni earned 878 US dollars per month – that’s around 20,6 million VND, about 5 times higher than the minimum wage in Danang. I also recently learned that their entry salary after graduation is on average 8 times their parents’ household income! Can you imagine that? Making 8 times what your parents make right out of school! With this salary, they can not only take care of themselves but also support their siblings and pay back their families’ debt.
One of the long-term social problems in Vietnam is the gender divide in the technology industry. We are pioneering in providing female students in disadvantaged communities with intensive training in programming. I would be remiss not to mention our practical and social coaching for students, in addition to the intensive IT training. They love hearing from business leaders and professionals.
I hope you can become our partner so that our students can listen to your inspiring stories. Your help will empower these students to thrive and succeed. Thank you for listening!”
SUMMARY OF PNV’S OPERATION
A Rigorous Beneficiaries Selection Process
Each year, PNV’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 conduct career orientation sessions for hundreds of underserved students to raise awareness about the importance of tertiary education in eradicating poverty and hunger.
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.
Building Spirit of Giving Forward in our Beneficiaries
To prepare these young people to become mature and independent adults, we designed a personal development curriculum that revolves around PN’s 5 main values.
PNV students are educated in the spirit of community and sustainable development through assignments like fundraising projects, environmentalism, and community preservation. Besides, as part of this program, students live together in dormitories, located near PNV, 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.
At PNV, our specialized team is available to take care of students 24/7. Our students are closely monitored for both physical and mental wellbeings right after entering our center. Periodic assessments of individuals based on learning results, psychological development, and daily behaviors are performed on a monthly basis. We also provide psychological counseling in case of need.
A Solid and Practical IT Training
PNV currently collaborates with Danang Vocational Training College (DanaVTC) on basic curriculum design and training delivery. At graduation, students receive an officially recognized college degree and a certificate diploma from Passerelles Numériques. These, coupled with the skills they’re trained, ensure 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.
As 50% of the curriculum is for technical training, PN strongly supports learning by doing, which is why all of our IT courses include at least 50% lab practice time. In addition, in order to shorten the gap between the curriculum and the employer’s expectations, PNV always integrates IT companies into our training activities in many forms such as workshops, 6 weeks of specialization modules, mentoring programs, and internship programs.
Making a Difference with Professional Skills
Professional skills are lifelong learning that will occupy 25% of our training time to help students be able to work effectively in companies. Our professional life training consists of 4 main parts:
- Learning to Learn: The students discover themselves and their learning styles to find the most suitable learning techniques for the best training progress and their own development
- Job Application: The students prepare themselves for the recruitment reality to improve their chances of employability
- Professionalism: The students practice positive attitudes to enhance their influence and adaptability in their working environment
- Thinking & Mindset: The students attend workshops and special modules to boost their confidence and analytical thinking skills, as well as their ambition and vision for future developments
Going Global with English
English occupies a central place in our training approach, as much as 25% of the training is dedicated to it. With a target on 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 focusing on pronunciation and speaking throughout the whole curriculum, plus a compulsory English Club in the second academic year where students have to communicate with English-speaking volunteers every week.
At PNV, English is considered an essential tool: We train students to have adequate English IT vocabulary, the ability to present and write in English, and the confidence to use it in front of any foreigner.
OUR LONG-TERM SOCIAL IMPACT IN VIETNAM
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 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.
*Statistics based on Social Impact Survey conducted in March/2024.
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
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE UNITED NATIONS’ SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDG)
WHAT ARE INFORMATION RESOURCES YOU CAN SHARE ABOUT PNV?
Social Media is a great medium to connect and share your voice nowadays. PNV is present on various social media platforms, so feel free to choose those that you are well-versed and well-connected in to share information about us.
A tip for you: Posts with personal voice and stories usually attract more attention! Just share your genuine thoughts and actions about PNV and your experience as our ambassador! If you need help with copywriting, feel free to reach out to our Communications team at ero.vietnam@passerellesnumeriques.org
- Kindly “Like” and “Follow” our fan page. You can “Invite friends” to like our page as well!
- Be sure to “like”, comment, and share posts that you find compelling on our Facebook page.
- For your own post: Keep it within the medium length. Include relevant images of you and PNV. Make sure to include the hashtags: #PNV #GatewayForLife. Remember to tag our Facebook.
We share a Youtube channel with other centers of PN.
- Here is a playlist of PNV’s videos
- Kindly “subscribe” to the channel, “like” and “comment” on videos that you find compelling.
- Videos reach the audience better. You can download and share those videos on your social media or even include them in the introduction about PNV!
LinkedIn is a great place to share about PNV with your professional network! Same as Youtube, we share a LinkedIn page with PN Global – check it here.
- You can follow PN’s page, like, comment, or repost content that is relevant and interesting to you
- You can list your position as an Ambassador on your profile and tag our account
We share a Twitter account with other centers of PN.
- Kindly follow our account, retweet and like tweets as you see fit
- Relevant hashtags you can use in your tweets: #PNV #GatewayForLife #ITRaiseIT #digitaleducation #youth #socialcause
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does PNV provide volunteering opportunities?
We are regularly looking for volunteers and interns (in communication, fundraising, finance, etc.). You can find the latest open positions here: https://www.passerellesnumeriques.org/en/join-us/
You can also submit a spontaneous application by sending your resume and cover letter to hr.vietnam@passerellesnumeriques.org.
What makes PNV different from other volunteer organizations?
What makes our organization unique is the 3-year IT vocational training at our organization, a decent amount of time for students to master software engineering, along with intensive English and soft skills. In other words, we create actual, long-term impact that contributes to sustainable economic development.
Additionally, one of the long-term social problems in Vietnam is the gender divide in the technology industry. We are pioneering in providing female students in disadvantaged communities with intensive training in programming.
How long is the ambassador’s commitment?
This commitment does not have a definite end-date. However, you are encouraged to be our ambassador for at least six months to make a visible impact within your community.
What are the types of donations that I or my network can contribute to PNV?
Currently, we are welcoming three types of donations: money, in-kind donation and competence/skills donation. For individual monetary donations, please visit our website here for convenient methods to donate. For corporate sponsorships and in-kind or competence/skills donation, please email us at ero.vietnam@passerellesnumeriques.org.
Will there be a list of requirements for me to fulfill?
By committing to being PNV’s Ambassador, we expect and know that you will fulfill your role. During a majority of the time, you can take autonomous action in supporting PNV. However, during your term, there are a few requirements you need to fulfill:
- Complete a virtual introductory briefing with PNV Representative; and at least 1 meeting per month to update on your activities
- Like/Follow all PNV’s social media accounts to maintain your online presence as an ambassador
- Attend at least two PNV events (virtual or in-person)
- Introduce at least ten of your connections to PNV as donors/professional trainers/event participants
- Agree to be featured in one PNV media post (Our communication staff will reach out to you directly about this)
Beyond these requirements, feel free to reach out to and discuss with us any creative ideas you have!
(These requirements have been included in the Ambassador Charter, for your reference)
How will my impact be measured?
Your impact can be measured in multiple ways:
- Your financial impact is calculated based on the total funding raised from your own initiatives, and can be converted to a number of students sponsored in tuition fee and living expenses, or a quantity of equipment sponsored.
For example, when you raise 8 million VND (about 340 USD), you have supported one year of tuition fee for a PNV student. - Your publicity impact is measured through the number of people reached and interacting with each of your social media post about PNV.
- Your indirect impact is measured by how many of your connections become PNV’s supporters, donors or professional contributors.
And there are many other possible metrics based on what activities you choose to support us. Our team is happy to work with you in your impact measurement effort!
Does PNV have external audit for your finances? How are financial resources utilized in your organization?
Our annual accounts are audited and certified by:
Cabinet Ajilec – member of Compagnie Régionale d’Orléans
26, rue Arthur Rimbaud, 37100 Tours, France
Tel: +33 2 47 39 68 24
Email: contact@expertcomptable-ajilec.com
RCS TOURS B 450 403 704
In terms of resource distribution, we use 80% of our resources for our social mission in Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Madagascar.
Fundraising and overhead costs account for 20% of our expenses:
- Part of the wages and fees of the Coordination team, dedicated to fundraising, communication, finance, HR and global IT projects
- Fundraising event organization costs, communication supports
- Chartered accountant and payroll processing fees
- Other expenses (office supplies, insurance, phone, plane tickets…).
Does PNV have a code of conduct that I have to abide by?
We do have a code of conduct that we expect all PNV staff members, volunteers and associates to abide by, and that you would be asked to sign once you join us as an ambassador. These rules are not negotiable.
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that staff of Passerelles numeriques Vietnam work in an environment that respects and values the dignity of individuals, is free from discrimination or harassment and has fair and equitable processes for dealing with complaints and appeals. This policy also regulates the relations between staff and students and intends to safeguard the well-being and optimum studying conditions of PN Vietnam beneficiaries.
Does PNV have annual reports that I can send to interested parties?
You are welcome to access our annual and financial reports that are published on our website here.
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