Abdel Bettahar works as a digital coach in the VINCE project, which aims to digitize services and provide new kinds of support for immigrants.
Bettahar has a diverse background as a customer advisor and a student of community pedagogy. He describes himself as an active citizen involved in various organizations and events. He has also served as the “Turku Boy,” representing young people and bringing their perspectives to different events.
— I have worked in the NGO sector for a long time and have strong networks in that direction. This helps me in my job as a digital coach when I present and test the upcoming application with different stakeholders, Bettahar explains.
Goals and Benefits of the VINCE Project – One Application, Many Possibilities
The main goal of the VINCE project is to digitize the services of International House Turku so that immigrants can easily and quickly get the information and support they need. Bettahar’s role in the project is crucial, as he develops the functionality of the application with end-users and collects essential data for further development of the application.
— The purpose of the application is to digitize, among other things, the services of International House Turku. For example, a person who has received a residence permit for Finland can download the application before arriving and get information about Finnish society, Bettahar explains.
The application helps immigrants in many ways. For example, a person who wants to start a business can use the application to get information about the Finnish system and book an appointment with a business advisor. This lowers the threshold and makes it easier and faster to get information.
— This works as an alternative method so that you don’t always have to raise the threshold so much that you must go to an office and find a person to ask. Our goal is that basic information is available on the phone, Bettahar says.
Multidisciplinary and International Cooperation
The VINCE project is implemented in multidisciplinary and international cooperation. Experts from different fields and countries are involved, bringing a broad perspective and expertise to the project. Bettahar sees this as a strength, although it may sometimes slow down the process.
— Multidisciplinarity brings a wide range of perspectives, but at the same time, it can slightly slow down development work. However, I see that there are more positive aspects, and we get perspectives from Sweden and elsewhere, he assesses.
According to Bettahar, the strength of the project is its human-centered approach. The application is continuously tested with end-users, and their feedback is considered in the development work. This ensures that the application genuinely serves the needs of its users.
— My main job is to visit end-users to test the functionality of the application and to present the project to various stakeholders. This way, we ensure that the application genuinely serves the users, and we receive extensive feedback from them, he explains.
Future Prospects
The VINCE project continues until spring 2026, but Bettahar sees the project’s potential in the long term as well. He believes that the application can be more widely used in the future and support the integration of immigrants even better.
— I see that in the future, this can be more widely adopted by authorities as well. This can support integration and be an important additional service, Bettahar states.
He believes that the AI feature of the application will be a significant help for immigrants. AI can help users find the information they need quickly and easily, making the application even more useful.
The VINCE project and Abdel Bettahar’s work as a digital coach are examples of how digitalization can support the integration of immigrants and make their daily lives easier. The project’s multidisciplinary and international cooperation brings a broad range of expertise and perspectives that benefit all parties involved.
Vince is Co-funded by the European Union