DUAL ONLINE CENTER
Bank of Good Practices in Social Inclusion through WBL
Adalab – Technology boot camps for women
Overview
Adalab was founded in 2016 to tackle a dual challenge: Spain’s booming demand for tech talent and the persistent gender gap in STEM, where only around 20–29 % of ICT professionals are women. It supports women, especially those unemployed or from non-tech backgrounds, offering intensive hands-on bootcamps in Web Development and Data Analytics — no prior experience required.
The initiative aims to promote social inclusion, diversity, and equity in Work-Based Learning by:
1. Providing full-time or part-time project-based training, with career coaching and CV/interview preparation.
2. Offering eCare scholarships (€2,000 each) to remove financial barriers
3. Building a supportive network of 1,000+ women and partnering with 350+ inclusive employers (Amazon, BBVA, Cabify)
4. Achieving a 90 % employment rate post-bootcamp, with graduates earning around €20,800/year and working remotely or hybrid
It is located in Spain and offers online live classes nationwide, adapting quickly during COVID-19 to maintain quality and extend reach.
The initiative aims to promote social inclusion, diversity, and equity in Work-Based Learning by:
1. Providing full-time or part-time project-based training, with career coaching and CV/interview preparation.
2. Offering eCare scholarships (€2,000 each) to remove financial barriers
3. Building a supportive network of 1,000+ women and partnering with 350+ inclusive employers (Amazon, BBVA, Cabify)
4. Achieving a 90 % employment rate post-bootcamp, with graduates earning around €20,800/year and working remotely or hybrid
It is located in Spain and offers online live classes nationwide, adapting quickly during COVID-19 to maintain quality and extend reach.
Objectives
The main goal of Adalab is to bridge the gender gap in the tech sector by providing women—especially those without prior experience in technology or coming from unemployment—with intensive, work-oriented digital training. It aims to promote social equity and professional empowerment through high-quality, market-relevant education.
Adalab targets women underrepresented in ICT, particularly:
- Unemployed or in precarious jobs.
- From non-technical or low-income backgrounds.
- With limited access to traditional vocational routes.
It supports access to Work-Based Learning by:
- Offering bootcamps based on real-world tech projects, simulating a workplace environment.
- Providing career coaching, mock interviews, and job search support aligned with employer expectations.
- Facilitating direct connections to 350+ companies looking to diversify their tech teams.
Adalab reduces barriers through the no prior technical experience required, their flexible online format, enabling access from any region in Spain, but specially the subsidised tuition via scholarships (eCare), covering up to €2,000. Its Short duration and employability-focused structure, attracts women who can’t commit to long academic programs. These elements make WBL more accessible, inclusive, and responsive to real social and economic needs.
Adalab targets women underrepresented in ICT, particularly:
- Unemployed or in precarious jobs.
- From non-technical or low-income backgrounds.
- With limited access to traditional vocational routes.
It supports access to Work-Based Learning by:
- Offering bootcamps based on real-world tech projects, simulating a workplace environment.
- Providing career coaching, mock interviews, and job search support aligned with employer expectations.
- Facilitating direct connections to 350+ companies looking to diversify their tech teams.
Adalab reduces barriers through the no prior technical experience required, their flexible online format, enabling access from any region in Spain, but specially the subsidised tuition via scholarships (eCare), covering up to €2,000. Its Short duration and employability-focused structure, attracts women who can’t commit to long academic programs. These elements make WBL more accessible, inclusive, and responsive to real social and economic needs.
Implementation
Adalab was founded in 2016 with a clear mission: to close the gender gap in the tech sector. In a context where barely one in four digital professionals in Spain is a woman, its founders set out to create a solution that combined technical training, social inclusion, and direct access to employment.
From the outset, Adalab developed a training model based on intensive bootcamps in web development and data analytics, designed exclusively for women, with no prior technical experience required. These programs are fully hands-on and simulate real-world work environments through team-based projects, aligning closely with the principles of Work-Based Learning (WBL).
To ensure accessibility regardless of financial background, Adalab introduced a scholarship system—such as the eCare grants, which subsidize up to €2,000 of the tuition fee. The format was also adapted to live online classes, eliminating geographical and family-related barriers to participation.
But Adalab’s support goes beyond technical skills. The program includes personalized career coaching and job readiness support, connected to a network of over 350 partner companies. With a job placement rate above 90%, Adalab proves that it is possible to train diverse, empowered female talent and create equitable pathways into quality tech jobs—transforming both lives and the digital workforce.
From the outset, Adalab developed a training model based on intensive bootcamps in web development and data analytics, designed exclusively for women, with no prior technical experience required. These programs are fully hands-on and simulate real-world work environments through team-based projects, aligning closely with the principles of Work-Based Learning (WBL).
To ensure accessibility regardless of financial background, Adalab introduced a scholarship system—such as the eCare grants, which subsidize up to €2,000 of the tuition fee. The format was also adapted to live online classes, eliminating geographical and family-related barriers to participation.
But Adalab’s support goes beyond technical skills. The program includes personalized career coaching and job readiness support, connected to a network of over 350 partner companies. With a job placement rate above 90%, Adalab proves that it is possible to train diverse, empowered female talent and create equitable pathways into quality tech jobs—transforming both lives and the digital workforce.
Innovative features
Mentoring programs for marginalized groups, Financial support (e.g., grants, scholarships, wage subsidies), Digital learning tools to improve access, Uses technology to improve access, Offers flexible learning options for different needs, Includes mentorship and support networks
Success stories
María Ariza
"I left maths to study Audiovisual Communication and worked as a videographer, but the instability led me to reinvent myself. After a year in Germany delivering parcels, I discovered Adalab almost by chance and jumped in without thinking twice. The bootcamp was intense but transformative. When I finished, I found a job in just 10 days. Today, I'm in a technical position where I program and continue to train with a clear goal: to grow in the tech world without leaving my creative side behind."
https://adalab.es/testimonios/
"I left maths to study Audiovisual Communication and worked as a videographer, but the instability led me to reinvent myself. After a year in Germany delivering parcels, I discovered Adalab almost by chance and jumped in without thinking twice. The bootcamp was intense but transformative. When I finished, I found a job in just 10 days. Today, I'm in a technical position where I program and continue to train with a clear goal: to grow in the tech world without leaving my creative side behind."
https://adalab.es/testimonios/
Measured outcomes
A significant majority of participants were unemployed or working in unrelated fields prior to joining the bootcamp, with 74 % reporting no prior technical experience.
The outcomes speak for themselves: between 90 % and 95 % of Adalab graduates secure employment within months of completing the program. These women now work as junior web developers, data analysts, and digital professionals in both national and international companies, often in remote or hybrid roles. Adalab’s strong employer network—featuring firms like Amazon, BBVA, Accenture, and Cabify—has been key to facilitating these transitions.
Beyond employment, participants gain a robust set of skills: from coding languages like JavaScript and Python, to working with data tools and applying agile methodologies. Just as importantly, they develop soft skills and career readiness, including portfolio creation, public speaking, and job interview preparation.
Ultimately, Adalab not only equips women with professional skills—it transforms their futures, enabling economic independence, professional confidence, and social mobility in a sector where they’ve historically been underrepresented.
The outcomes speak for themselves: between 90 % and 95 % of Adalab graduates secure employment within months of completing the program. These women now work as junior web developers, data analysts, and digital professionals in both national and international companies, often in remote or hybrid roles. Adalab’s strong employer network—featuring firms like Amazon, BBVA, Accenture, and Cabify—has been key to facilitating these transitions.
Beyond employment, participants gain a robust set of skills: from coding languages like JavaScript and Python, to working with data tools and applying agile methodologies. Just as importantly, they develop soft skills and career readiness, including portfolio creation, public speaking, and job interview preparation.
Ultimately, Adalab not only equips women with professional skills—it transforms their futures, enabling economic independence, professional confidence, and social mobility in a sector where they’ve historically been underrepresented.
Challenges and lessons learned
Launching and growing Adalab as a socially driven, work-based learning initiative for women in tech has not been without its challenges. One of the earliest obstacles was overcoming social stereotypes that associate technology careers with men or with individuals who hold formal university degrees in computer science. Many of the women Adalab sought to reach lacked confidence in their ability to succeed in technical fields. To address this, the team built a highly supportive learning environment and developed a beginner-friendly curriculum, emphasizing that no prior experience was needed—only motivation and curiosity.
Another major challenge was financial accessibility. Many potential candidates came from economically precarious situations and could not afford the cost of training. In response, Adalab partnered with foundations and launched the eCare scholarship program, offering up to €2,000 per student to ensure that financial barriers would not exclude talented women.
Additionally, building employer trust was critical. At first, companies were hesitant to hire junior developers from non-traditional paths. Adalab overcame this by aligning its bootcamps with current industry needs, incorporating real-world projects, and offering career coaching to ensure graduates were job-ready. Today, over 350 companies actively collaborate with the initiative.
Another major challenge was financial accessibility. Many potential candidates came from economically precarious situations and could not afford the cost of training. In response, Adalab partnered with foundations and launched the eCare scholarship program, offering up to €2,000 per student to ensure that financial barriers would not exclude talented women.
Additionally, building employer trust was critical. At first, companies were hesitant to hire junior developers from non-traditional paths. Adalab overcame this by aligning its bootcamps with current industry needs, incorporating real-world projects, and offering career coaching to ensure graduates were job-ready. Today, over 350 companies actively collaborate with the initiative.
- CountrySpain
- SectorDigital education
- Target groupPeople at risk of poverty or social exclusion Women
Leading organisation
Adalab, Tech school
Date
2016, ongoing
Key stakeholders
• VET providers and training centers
• Employers and business networks
• Employers and business networks
Number of beneficiaries
Since its creation in 2016, Adalab has trained more than 600 women in its Web Programming and Data Analytics bootcamps, achieving a 90% job placement rate.
