Take2 Elevates Its Successful Tech Training Programme For Justice-impacted Individuals To Include Real-world Experience

Take2, a successful charity teaching justice-impacted individuals how to code, is exceptionally proud to announce the launch of its social enterprise - Take2 Elevate. Take2 trains prisoners and recently released individuals how to code; Take2 Elevate provides paid real-life work experience for justice-impacted individuals while partnering with experienced software engineers.

“The path for Take2’s students into the tech industry is, as expected, challenging,” says founder and CEO Cameron Smith. “Take2’s mission is to create second chances at life - we deliver on this mission by reducing or eliminating recidivism and increasing employment rates for our students. Our core strategy to achieve this is through creating a direct education-to-employment pathway from prison into the tech industry.”

To celebrate, Take2 is hosting a launch event for some of the most prominent players in the tech sector in NZ on Tuesday, 28 March. Maya Soetoro Ng, Co-founder at the Institute for Climate and Peace, a liaison for the Obama Foundation and the University of Hawai'i, and Edmund Hillary Fellow, will also be a keynote speaker for the event. “We’re excited to have Maya join us throughout the day as we visit our in-prison classroom, our new community hub, and our graduates and now software developers”. Cam says, “Maya has graciously offered to run self-care workshops with our participants, something that’s a new concept for most of our students.”

Take2 Elevate is a paid apprenticeship whereby Take2 can level the playing field for formerly incarcerated individuals to kickstart their careers and increase diversity within the tech industry. Cam says, “We understand it’s not enough to open the door to opportunities that a tech career can bring. We need to provide a safe environment for our students, one that supports them effectively without overwhelming or intimidating them. This empowers them to readjust to employment while navigating life with whānau, friends and society again.”

Take2 Elevate will provide software development and tailored technology solutions to value-aligned businesses in New Zealand. The Take2 Elevate model partners its experienced engineers with Take2 apprentices to work on real projects, this is invaluable, especially in an industry where experience is a prerequisite for ongoing employment. Ross Williamson, General Manager, states, “Our staff have decades of experience and backgrounds, from start-ups to large corporates, and from telco to education. They can guide and support Take2 graduates as they develop their employability skills, gain confidence and get the hands-on experience required to excel in the technology industry.”

Take2 was founded in 2019 by Cameron Smith, who grew up in a small rural town of Morinsville, to provide justice-impacted individuals with the support, resources and opportunity to improve their quality of life.

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