FAQs Archive - Powercoders

Q: Are refugees from Powercoders allowed to work in Switzerland?

Yes. The majority of our participants have a refugee state B or F and thus have a work permit and are considered almost like Swiss welfare recipients. The state wants them to be integrated, have a job and become independent. Our other participants have an S permit. For these people, a work permit must be obtained, although it is not a problem to get this because the cantons want these people to work.

Q: How much money do refugees get from social welfare per month?

The social welfare law of each canton regulates the amount of money social welfare recipients get. They follow the SKOS (Schweizerische Konferenz für Sozialhilfe) regulations. A recognized refugee with permit B or F living alone receives around 1000 CHF per month (accommodation and health insurance expenses not included).

Q: Where and how do the participants live?

Most of them are living in flats offered by their social service. A few of them (mainly the ones who have not been granted asylum) are living in refugee homes.

Q: How does Powercoders select the candidates?

We invite applicants to apply online through a form, and if the application looks promising, we invite them to a Recruitment Day, where they are asked to take an IT-test, an English-test and a personal interview. We look for participants with high learning skills, motivation, passion, talent in tech & IT and good team working personalities. Only the most promising ones are selected.

Q: What level of English is required for application? Do I need a certificate?

As all lessons are held in English, it is important that the participants can follow the course content well in English. You should be able to express yourself well orally and have a good understanding of the language (min. level B1/B2). Certificates are not necessary; we check the participants' English skills individually during the application process. We recommend various learning resources to improve your language skills here .

Q: How do the participants find the right company for the internship?

We work to ensure that this is achieved at the Career Day , where we simulate a real job seeking event. Every company presents the internship they are offering, after which each company has a booth where participants are expected to stop by and ask questions about the company and internship. The goal of a participating company is to invite 3 to 5 participants for a second interview in the following week.