Storage boxes for schools and companies

placeB storage boxes are perfectly suited as archive or storage for companies. At the same time, different schools use the storages to store material. One of them is POWERCODERS, an organization that teaches fugitives how to program. Christina Gräni explains why placeB offers added value for the school.

placeB: POWERCODERS is a programming school for fugitives. What is your mission?

Gräni: We offer people the opportunity for professional integration, reduce the financial burden of social welfare and make an important contribution to alleviating the shortage of skilled workers in the IT sector. The step from refugees into the world of work is an important key to successful integration and peaceful coexistence in Switzerland.

You have been running your programme in various Swiss cities since 2017. Can you already report successes?

With over 100 graduates* and a quota of 97% internships as well as a job integration rate of probably over 60%, we were able to prove that the concept works in practice. So far, we have been able to bring over 80 renowned companies on board as partners, such as Swiss Post, Swisscom, UBS and Mobiliar.

And what will happen next?

In order to create sustainable structures, our organization has decided to launch two national training centers: one in Lausanne for French-speaking Switzerland and one in Zurich for German-speaking Switzerland. We also want to install the concept internationally. A first pilot project has already been carried out in Istanbul and a further foreign project is being planned in Turin.

What does POWERCODERS need the placeB storage box for?

Since we don't have fixed offices and training rooms, we are dependent on coworking spaces and on a place where we can store our material, such as beamers, screens, electronic accessories, laptops, T-shirts, etc. Therefore a service like placeB is exactly the right thing for us. We currently distribute the material from Berne to the other two locations Lausanne and Zurich, but in the future we would like to rent a placeB box in all three cities.

What advantages do such storage units offer you?

The warehouses are very central and close to the station. This is important for our organization because the team is on the road with public transport. The opening and closing of the storage box is handled very easily and up-to-date by means of an app and security is guaranteed thanks to video surveillance and user tracking. If questions or problems arise on site, a very responsive online support is available.

How many people use access to the storage box?

Three people have access to Powercoders. The sharing system is very convenient and flexible. As soon as other team members need access to our storage box, our administrator can release it via app, either as a permanent approval or as a one-off.

Thank you very much, Christina Gräni, for the interview.