CIO communities, technology service providers, recruitment and marketing agencies have come together to launch Tech Link Ukraine, an online resource to connect displaced Ukrainian technologists with organisations in Europe, particularly Ireland and the UK, that need technologist team members. Tech Link Ukraine was created as business technology leaders were appalled by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 22, 2022, and the suffering inflicted on Ukrainian society. “Our mission is to support technologists displaced by the war in Ukraine by providing the opportunity to work and support their families and loved ones.”
The founding CIOs and organisations behind Tech Link Ukraine aim to provide employment to displaced Ukrainian technologists, connecting their networks and opportunities to ensure Ukrainian technologists are able to work and support one another.
CIOs within the Horizon CIO Network - founded by the author - and UK IT Leaders - founded by interim CIO Dave Jones have partnered with workforce software provider ProFinda, CCO and talent acquisition leader Neil Dunwoody in Ireland, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP immigration lawyer Pat Saini, and agile business-to-business marketing agency Bright. CIO members represent organisations such as medical research funding body Wellcome, Times Higher Education, agricultural genomics research firm Synomics, and leading interim CIOs and change management experts Dave Jones, Shaun Taylor and Adrian Wakefield.
Neil Dunwoody says: “We are able to promote and drive practical support. The recruitment piece is the easy piece as the jobs are there.” He added that a number of Irish, UK and international organisations have pledged their support.
The invasion of Ukraine and displacement of its citizens has been especially moving for the technology community. There has been a close and growing relationship between Ukraine and the technology industry. Ukraine’s technology sector revenue has been growing over 25% year-on-year. Prior to the invasion, Ukraine was home to 200,000 developers, with 20,000 technology graduates leaving Ukrainian universities a year. Technology has become one of Ukraine’s top three exports in a very short time, and had contributed 8% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).
“The next wave of innovation will come from Eastern Europe, from Ukraine in particular,” wrote Dominique Piotet, CEO at UNIT.City, an innovation park in Kyiv, in 2021.
How to help
Tech Link Ukraine has three channels of help. The first is the ability for Ukrainian technologists looking for work to register themselves. The recruitment network supporting Tech Link Ukraine will contact them and begin the process of finding work. For CIOs, CTOs and technology services firms looking for technology talent, the second channel is an opportunity to register that you are able to support and recruit Ukrainian technologists.
A third channel enables organisations to donate technology or resources to support the 3.3 million refugees with the ability to remain connected.
A number of charities have been contacted, and discussions on how to get connectivity to the refugees they are supporting is beginning to take place.
To help your peers in Ukraine, contact info@techlinkukraine.org or visit Tech Link Ukraine.