1 year after launching the Orange Digital Center and Orange Belgium Fund, the telecom operator launches a Tech Academy and signs new partnerships

Digital inclusion is a strategic pillar for Orange Belgium, convinced that it has become a crucial factor of social and financial inclusion. With the launch of the Orange Digital Center and the Orange Belgium Fund, Orange Belgium installed a long-term commitment to help overcome the digital divide in Belgian society, offering financial support and structural guidance through various partnerships and initiatives. One year to date, the telecom operator draws up a positive balance and, spurred on by its ambition to become the preferred tech & telco employer, announces two new collaborations: a Chair at the ULB and a Digital House for women with Girleek.

A Tech Academy and a Chair for civil engineers

In 2022, according to the King Baudouin Foundation and its Digital Inclusion Barometer 2022, almost one in two Belgians (46% of the population) are in a situation of digital vulnerability. Over three-quarters of these individuals are low-skilled, earn a modest income, and are primarily women.

The impact of this digital divide is also deeply felt within the workplace, as six out of ten Belgian companies face significant challenges in locating qualified tech professionals. In its pursuit of becoming the ‘place to be’ for tech and tech-related talent, Orange Belgium has taken the initiative to establish its very own "Tech Academy". This endeavor aims to not only cultivate a diverse pool of skills within Belgium, but also to breathe new life into tech professions by fostering rejuvenation and promoting gender diversity.

In a significant step towards enhancing this academy, Orange Belgium has signed a strategic agreement with the Ecole Polytechnique de Bruxelles to establish its own “Chair". This initiative aims to provide support for the teaching of telecommunications within the civil engineering curriculum at the ULB (Université libre de Bruxelles). The Chair opens up exciting opportunities, including:

• Internship opportunities and corporate visits at Orange Belgium
• Seminars and courses conducted by Orange Belgium at the university
• The opening of a Laboratory on school grounds with funding for equipment and research related to telecommunications  

Frédéric Robert, Dean of the Ecole Polytechnique de Bruxelles says: “The Ecole polytechnique de Bruxelles is delighted with the establishment of a privileged partnership with Orange Belgium. This multi-year partnership will make it possible to offer future ULB civil engineers a learning environment at the forefront of current technological issues, both in terms of courses, dissertations and internships. At the same time, it will enable Orange specialists to benefit from the research and training expertise of the teams at the Ecole polytechnique de Bruxelles.”

A digital house for women

Orange Belgium also announces its exciting collaboration with Girleek to launch a digital home in Brussels and Antwerp, specifically designed to empower women with limited digital skills. This ambitious venture is made possible through the joint funding of the Orange Belgium Fund and the Orange Foundation Group, with a total investment of 45,000 euros. The primary objective is to ensure widespread dissemination of technological knowledge among women, promote digital skill acquisition, and provide support for female entrepreneurs in the tech industry.

Having started in May 2023, this project is set to span a minimum duration of one year. With its four key components focusing on awareness, education, training, and employability, the initiative will offer a combination of face-to-face workshops (three times a month) and webinars. The overarching goal is to educate and empower over 1.540 women within a year, enabling them to thrive in the digital realm.

Julie Foulon, CEO from Girleek is enthusiastic about this partnership: “GIRLEEK offers practical, flexible and adapted training for all women, regardless of their level and/or skills. My goal is to empower women and lead them into a world of opportunity where they can work and thrive. Thanks to this partnership with Orange Belgium, I can move up a gear!”

Orange Digital Center and Orange Belgium Fund celebrate 1 year

Both the Tech Academy and Girleek align with Orange Belgium's inclusive approach, which aims to actively engage with learners at different stages of their lives.

True to its commitment to act as an engaged and responsible operator, Orange Belgium opened the Orange Digital Center in June 2022. Free and open to all, it promotes learning based on concrete projects, training courses, workshops and conferences for a wide range of publics: young people, men and women, with or without qualifications, students and job seekers. One year later, the Center showcases impressive statistics:

•  150 courses organised

•  22,000 hours of trainings

•  1,410 trainees

•  41% female participants  

Elementary and secondary school students are supported through the Orange Belgium Fund's programs. The telecom operator’s own corporate fund was launched under the umbrella of the King Baudouin’s Foundation with the aim of supporting local initiatives. The first major partnership of the Fund, with TADA (ToekomstATELIERdelAvenir), a Brussels-based association which accompanies and coaches socially vulnerable teenagers to help them acquire skills and maximize their chances in life on the job market, has impacted 556 children. And in one year, over the four projects supported by the Fund, more than 1,400 beneficiaries were reached.

In a further effort to reinforce female ICT skills, the Fund has donated 75,000 euros to BeCode, Belgium’s largest non-profit coding school, to set up a female mentoring program targeting 80 beneficiaries between 18 and 25 years old.

Isabelle Vanden Eede, Chief Brand, Communication & ESG Officer at Orange Belgium explains: “Today, not having access to digital technology, for whatever reason, can quickly lead to a form of social exclusion. As an operator, Orange Belgium leverages its technologies and resources to provide assistance to individuals of all ages, genders, and skill levels. By doing so, we contribute to the reduction of the digital divide and enhance employability opportunities for everyone. With this, we make a priority commitment to people excluded from digital, especially young persons in precarious situations and women.”

Benjamin Dalle, Flemish minister for Brussels, Youth, Media and Poverty Reduction, concludes: “The digital divide is a new divide that can cause exclusion for people in poverty or the elderly, for example. Young people who grow up in a vulnerable environment are also at risk. Together with the government, I have already taken many initiatives to combat the digital divide, but the government cannot do this alone. Civil society and the business world also have an important role to play in this. I am therefore very pleased that the Orange Digital Center is also committed to this, in the heart of Brussels.”

Discover here the 1 year Orange Digital Center Impact Report.