YOUNG PEOPLE IN NORTHERN MOLDOVA HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN IT

YOUNG PEOPLE IN NORTHERN MOLDOVA HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN IT

It is never too late for a career change! The Republic of Moldova has a major shortage of experienced or beginner IT specialists, especially at the regional level. Although the industry offers all the possibilities and conditions for talent and knowledge to be capitalized in any corner of the country, IT companies face an acute shortage of human resources, a constraint that significantly limits their development. For example, 26 IT companies operate in the Balti region, employing about 190 people – far below the expectations and potential of jobs that local businesses could offer.

In order to expand development opportunities in the regions and create the premises for connecting human capital with the possibilities offered by local IT companies, the Tekwill project in partnership with the “Optim” project developed the “IT Scholarship Program” in Bălți and Cahul. Beneficiaries included both young people with experience in IT eager to acquire new skills and employees from other sectors who chose to make a change in profession.

IT career – an important asset for young people in the Balti region

According to the World Economic Forum, in the coming years, about 90% of jobs will require ICT skills. Knowledge about programming is an important advantage in the labor market, according to program participants. In Bălți, young people studied the “Web Development” course, one of the most popular specialties in the field. They learned how to build, create, and maintain websites: design issues, content publishing, programming, and data management. The course was conducted online, and the training included state-of-the-art technologies, innovative learning methods and techniques with a proven impact in developing the skills and competencies required by the IT industry. Scholarship recipients received a coverage of 70% of the total cost of training. The finalists received graduation certificates.

Doina Florea, participant in the program: “I have been working as a computer science teacher for more than 11 years, in Rujnița village, Ocnița district. Because the IT field is constantly evolving, I have to keep up and participate directly in professional development courses. That is because I want to give the students I teach complete and current knowledge and help them develop their personal potential, so that in the future they can choose a career in the field.”

Alexandrina Mihalachi, participant in the program: “IT specialties are in great demand on the labor market. That is why I want to get a profession in this field; therefore, I continue to develop. I decided to apply to the Scholarship Program in IT because the IT industry is constantly changing, and I want to keep pace with new trends. I want to excel as a Front-End Developer, and I will continue to train myself in this regard. I intend to work for a well-known company, both in the Republic of Moldova and internationally.”

Local IT companies are ready to offer new jobs

The deficit of IT specialists is felt by all Moldovan companies regardless of their geographical region. The company’s representatives in Balti claim that they are ready to hire a much larger number of specialists if they were available on the market.

The IT Scholarship Program was implemented together with the Association for the Development of Electronic Communications and Innovative Technologies (ACETI), an association set up to contribute to the development of innovation in engineering and digital technologies, especially in the northern region.

Ion Bodrug, president of ACETI, Bălți: “The global pandemic has shown us how important the IT field is and how necessary it is for global education and digital skills to be promoted but also acquired by our young people. Practically, every company needs an IT specialist and investing in the professional training of young people could be a solution for the development of local companies and the creation of new jobs. Through training programs, we motivate young people to build their careers at home, and with the local workforce, local companies will be interested in coming to the regions.”

With the first edition, the IT Scholarship Program was developed in two regions of the country, Bălți and Cahul. The initiative was carried out with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) within the Project “Optimum – Opportunities through Technologies and Innovation in Moldova”, implemented by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova, with the support from the United States Development Agency and Sweden in the Tekwill Project.

Olesea Vieru, ICT Sector Coordinator, “Optim”: “The“ Optim ”project aims to stimulate and improve selected market systems and reduce regional disparities by increasing the private sector and facilitating innovation networks, as well as developing skills and access to information. The development of ICT skills and increased access to information on employment opportunities in regions outside Chisinau aims to reduce inequalities between rural and urban populations, increasing access to well-paid jobs in this sector. The courses launched in Bălți and Cahul with Tekwill improve the access to learning, retraining and employment in the field of ICT of men, women, and young people in the regions. We are pleased that this initiative has led to a fruitful partnership between Tekwill and the actors in the localities concerned, which opens up new possibilities for cooperation in the regions in the future.”

Ana Chirița, director of the Tekwill project: “This initiative is a first step for the development of the IT sector and the training of the workforce in the field, at regional level. The program is a synergy of the “Optim” and Tekwill projects to empower young people in the northern region with relevant knowledge to obtain qualifications and skills adapted to the current needs of the market. The second edition of the IT Scholarship Program will begin soon, and the training will take place both online and offline. These courses will be organized by experienced mentors as well, according to training programs specially designed and adjusted to the current rigors of the industry. In this way, we will offer young people the opportunity to explore their potential, to develop, to discover the world of information technologies and to choose more easily a career in the IT field.”

STUDIAZĂ UNUL DIN CURSURILE TEKWILL ACADEMY ȘI LANSEAZĂ-TE ÎNTR-O CARIERĂ ÎN IT

Studiază unul din cursurile Tekwill Academy și lansează-te într-o carieră în IT

Învățarea unei materii alături de specialiștii din domeniu poate deveni o rampă de acces către lumea IT absolut pentru toți cei care își doresc să descopere oportunitățile acestei industrii. De mai bine de 5 ani, proiectul Tekwill continuă să instruiască persoanele cu puțină experiență pentru ca aceștia să acumuleze cunoștințe suficiente pentru a-și crește nivelul de pregătire în lansarea pentru o carieră în IT. Unul dintre programele susținute de către proiectul Tekwill în acest sens este Tekwill Academy, o inițiativă educațională care pune la dispoziție 10 cursuri adaptate solicitărilor curente de pe piața muncii. După încheierea a zeci de ediții cu un număr de peste 30 deja finalizate, sute de specialiști au beneficiat de instruire completă și au reușit să se acomodeze cu mediul IT, chiar dacă nu au avut anterior competențe în această sferă.

Tewkill Academy – educație IT pentru viitorii specialiști

Experiența beneficiarilor Tekwill Academy demonstrează că o carieră în domeniul tehnologiilor informaționale poate începe de pe băncile școlii, după facultate, după un curs specializat sau chiar după ani grei de muncă într-un alt domeniu. Cei care au studiat unul din cursurile academiei, spun că programele au fost special concepute și sunt accesibile din punct de vedere a structurii informaționale atât pentru persoane care au cochetat cu IT-ul, cât și pentru cei fără pregătire în domeniu. Datorită bagajului de cunoștințe acumulat, însoțit de partea practică, participanții la cursuri au devenit mai productivi și la puțin timp după absolvire au obținut un job în cadrul companiilor de profil.

Oleg Cusursuz, absolventul cursului Java Fundamentals, software developer, Unifun: „Tehnologiile informaționale m-am captat cu mulți ani în urmă, mi-au dorit să dezvolt o profesie în acest domeniu, și iată, sunt angajat. După ce am terminat facultatea de Informatică de la Universitatea Tehnică din Moldova, am aplicat la cursurile Tekwill Academy. Le-am finalizat cu succes și am reușit să mă angajez în calitate de Software Developer într-o companie IT. Este prima mea experiență ca angajat și sunt mulțumit de atmosfera și oportunitățile pe care compania mi le oferă. Voi continua să obțin experiență în acest domeniu și să mă dezvolt profesional.”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?app_id=&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fx%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2F%3Fversion%3D46%23cb%3Df138502c00bf9ac%26domain%3Dwww.tekwill.md%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.tekwill.md%252Ff323270f66172f4%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=1078&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftekwill%2Fposts%2F1770315866471165&locale=en_US&sdk=joey&show_text=false&width=

Pentru alți beneficiari, cursurile Tekwill Academy au devenit primul contact cu lumea tehnologică, care le-a oferit baza informațională necesară pentru a continua să studieze și să dezvolte abilități adaptate cerințelor actuale de pe piață. Mai mult, instruirile tehnice furnizate în mod regulat le-au permis să pună în practică cunoștințele acumulate și să se focuseze spre modulele care necesită mai multă studiere. Deprinderile IT au căpătat un plus de valoare datorită faptului că lecțiile au fost predate de traineri profesioniști din domeniul TIC din Moldova și de peste hotare.

Mihail Luca, participant al cursului Tekwill Academy: „Cursul Java Fundamentals pe care l-am studiat a fost suficient ca să îmi găsesc un job în domeniul IT. Asta deoarece resursele informaționale care ne-au fost predate au fost considerabile la capitolul calitate și volum. Vreau să obțin mai multă experiență în domeniu, ca ulterior să deschid propria companie care să presteze servicii tehnologizate. Acest lucru urmează să se realizeze în următorii 3 ani.”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?app_id=&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fx%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2F%3Fversion%3D46%23cb%3Df31971694027c4%26domain%3Dwww.tekwill.md%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.tekwill.md%252Ff323270f66172f4%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=1078&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftekwill%2Fposts%2F1768120536690698&locale=en_US&sdk=joey&show_text=false&width=

Olga Migalatiev, participantă al cursului Tekwill Academy: „Timp de 10 ani lucrez în calitate de cercetător științific. Această muncă nu îmi aducea satisfacție morală și nici financiară. Pentru că am decis să mă autodepășesc, am aplicat la cursuri în IT. Chiar dacă anterior nu am avut nicio legătură cu industria tehnologizată, am reușit să studiez material predată, să susțin testele și să acumulez multe cunoștințe în acest domeniu. Sunt sigură că mă așteaptă o carieră prosperă în IT, pentru că îmi doresc asta și sunt pregătită să investesc în educația mea profesională. Ritmul de predare a fost în stilul „maraton”, motiv pentru care, în prezent, când simt necesitatea, revin și parcurg individual lecțiile. În următorii 5 ani, mă văd plină de inspirație, muncind în IT.”

Alege să studiezi un curs în IT

Inițiativa educațională Tekwill Academy pune la dispoziție 10 cursuri adaptate necesităților actuale din domeniu. Este vorba despre:

  • Programare în Java
  • Administrare Baze de Date cu SQL
  • Programare în C#
  • Proramare în Python
  • Rețelistică
  • Web Development
  • Testare software manuală și automată
  • Algoritmi și structuri de date
  • Managementul Proiectelor IT

Programul colaborează cu importanți furnizori internaționali, oferind cursuri cu certificări internaționale recunoscute la nivel mondial: Oracle SQL Fundamentals, Oracle Java Fundamentals și PMI-ACP Certification Training.

În anul 2018, Tekwill Academy a obținut acreditarea SEETB pentru desfășurarea examenelor de certificare în domeniul Software Testing – ISTQB, iar peste 80 de specialiști deja și-au certificat competențele în acest domeniu.

Programul Tekwill Academy a fost creat și funcționează în cadrul proiectului Tekwill, implementat de Asociația Națională a Companiilor din Domeniul TIC cu suportul Agenției Statelor Unite pentru Dezvoltare Internațională și Guvernul Suediei.

THIRD EDITION OF THE NATIONAL IT TRAINING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN

THIRD EDITION OF THE NATIONAL IT TRAINING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN

The third edition of the National IT Training Program for Women was launched to support gender equality and professional development of women in the IT sector in the Republic of Moldova. This year, about 200 participants are expected to attend the program with the aspiration to a successful career in information technology, a field that is innovative and on the rise. The program is implemented by the National Association of ICT Companies (ATIC) with the financial support of Sweden and UN Women (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment) under the “Empowering Women in Technology” Project.

The participants of the third edition will be able to opt for one of three focuses of study: Front-End Development, Software Testing, or Digital Skills. They will have access to the entire library as soon as they register on the Codifun platform, which will allow them to organize their day and set their learning time individually. In fact, the study program was designed based on the Microlearning method which involves 15 minutes of maximum concentration on the material studied and the frequent use of the concept of Edutainment which allows testing knowledge through play.

Dominika Stojanoska, UN Women Moldova Country Representative: “The IT field has become more accessible to anyone interested in gaining new skills, regardless of gender. We advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment, for the recognition of their value and talent, for their contributions to building an inclusive, competitive, and dynamic digital society. The major interest in the program registered in previous editions, reconfirms the fact that women want to explore IT more and gain skills in this field. The courses will help girls and women to find themselves more easily in the field of work and to progress in their professional life, in competitive sectors of the national economy.”

The program is open to girls and women across the country, especially to representatives of rural localities, different ethnic groups and/or other vulnerable groups. The courses will take place online and can be accessed free of charge.

Ana Chirița, ATIC strategic projects director: “The IT sector is a dynamic and captivating one, as evidenced by the over 2000 candidates who have submitted their files for participation in the program in the last two years. We are very pleased with the success of the participants and demonstrate the major impact of the program. For example, at the edition two years ago, 20 women managed to get a job in the field of information technology, even before graduating. We wish success to all participants this year!”

The graduates of the previous editions of the program found their experience to be successful, noting that the IT field is an interesting one which can lead you to success if you put in the effort. Their success was due to their ability to study the lessons from any location at a convenient time to them based on their daily activities.

Cătălina Hasnaș, graduate of the Front-End Developer course: “Since I started the courses, I understood that IT suits me like a “glove”, especially since I had the opportunity to set my own learning program. After graduation, I continued to learn Java Script and discovered the React library, which I really like. In the future, I want to get a specific Front-End Developer job in React.”

Elena Țurcan, graduate of the Digital Skills course: “I was interested in knowing information about data security, given the fact that at work I interacted daily with confidential documents, contracts, negotiations. Now, I am trying to pass on the knowledge I have gained, for example to use the Slack or Trello platforms more often. All the knowledge gained has a practical utility. I want to create an Instagram page for the adoption of stray animals.”

At the end of the online courses, the practical workshops will follow, during which the participants will continue the training, being guided by experienced mentors. Through the three-month intensive program, girls and women will be able to gain the knowledge and skills needed to work as a Front-End Developer, Software Tester, or using digital skills needed in the workplace.