We hear these questions asked time and again. For many refugees, restarting life in a new country not only means learning a new language or navigating unfamiliar systems — but also developing their education and professional pathways. In order to better prepare them for livelihood opportunities, we initiated small group coaching sessions for graduates from our digital education programme.

Thanks to four dedicated volunteer coaches — Miguel Gomez, Mark Chau, Karen Chia and Genevieve Koh — our pilot programme kicked off in February 2025, offering practical support that goes far beyond the classroom. These sessions were designed to help refugee students craft their personal CVs and showcase their portfolio with confidence. In groups of between four to six, participants were invited to share their own CVs, reflect on their strengths and focus on positive examples to benchmark themselves against. The coaches then encouraged them to identify relevant experiences and highlight life skills such as problem-solving, multi-tasking and adaptability. Mark was heartened to see participants being so positive and open to feedback. He felt glad to be “part of a journey where we all walked and learnt together.”

Besides the advice on formatting and correcting of grammar or spelling errors, our coaches hope to provide that listening ear and challenge the students to develop to their full potential. These sharing sessions enabled participants to engage, interact and learn from each other. As Miguel observed, “It served as a venue for both students and facilitators to share perspectives and best practices.”