On May 2, ten inmates from the Pertapis Halfway House successfully graduated from the Rehabilitation of Inmates program, co-hosted by the Yellow Ribbon Fund and the Acronis Foundation in Singapore. The program, a 10 day-long computer literacy workshop, covered the basics of Microsoft Office programs and WordPress. On graduation day, the workshop was followed by master-classes on professional communication, such as CV creation and job interview tips. At the end of the day, the former offenders took part in a graduation ceremony together with their families, Acronis employees, and YRF representatives.

The Yellow Ribbon Fund (YRF) is the first and the only national charitable fund in Singapore devoted entirely towards the development and implementation of rehabilitation and reintegration programs for ex-offenders and their families.

In 2018, Acronis began supporting the Yellow Ribbon Fund with a long-term commitment of SGD $1 million in funding and services for the next 10 years. This joint work from Acronis and the Yellow Ribbon Fund benefits people with prior convictions, giving them a second chance in life. YRF and Acronis are seeking to provide IT education for ex-offenders during their rehabilitation process. With this experience, these ex-offenders are well-suited for the high demand from local companies in Singapore for a workforce with IT skills.

Through the strong support of Acronis, more than 30 ex-offenders have gone through the training and attained certificates in 2018. Apart from the IT skills, volunteers and staff from Acronis have also imparted soft-skills training that is crucial to their reintegration journey.

“One of our most fundamental beliefs is that knowledge is everything. We are certain that people with prior convictions can have a better life if given the opportunity. The YRF-Acronis IT Skills Programme provides ex-offenders with a platform where they can rewrite their biographies” said Acronis Founder and CEO, Serguei Beloussov.