“UTeach” Program – Performance and Development in The Field of ICT For Teachers and Students in The Country

On its fourth anniversary, the TEKWILL project kicks off the “[r]evolution reaches the whole country” and is committed to bringing information technology closer to people in all regions of Moldova. Supporting higher education institutions in the country remains a priority for the TEKWILL project, as the responsibility to educate a new generation of innovators also takes place in universities and academies. And to bring added value to the ICT industry in the Republic of Moldova, teachers benefit from mentoring programs, scholarships, and technical equipment to achieve a quality educational process. “UTeach” is an initiative in which teachers interested in achieving ICT performance benefit from development opportunities and resources to adjust education to the current requirements and trends of the industry. The initiative is part of the “Tekwill Ambassador Program” and is carried out with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Sweden within the “Tekwill” project, implemented by the National Association of ICT Companies.

Irina Oriol, Deputy Coordinator, “Tekwill” project: “In 4 years of Tekwill activities, a series of initiatives have been developed to support teachers, but at the same time we also offered students an opportunity to acquire skills and abilities that are currently in demand on the labour force market. We developed two editions of “UTeach” within the “Tekwill Ambassador Program” and several scholarship editions. Over 150 young people benefited from Oracle scholarships. The teachers from the 6 educational institutions that benefited from the “UTeach” program grants developed 22 projects in their institutions. At the same time, the technical material base of the universities was improved by offering different equipment for delivering the lessons, but also for various innovative projects developed by students together under the guidance of the professors throughout their implementation.”

The training and preparation of teachers from different fields to develop and pilot IT programs was carried out also in the educational institutions in the regions. At the State University of Comrat, 30 professors benefited from a technological education program, and 95 teachers registered for the 4 webinars that were organized in this regard.

Tatiana Velicova, associate professor, doctor, State University of Comrat: “For the first time, I came to Tekwill for “Open Day”, where various courses available within the project were presented. I decided to participate, and my attempt was successful. We obtained a grant that aimed at training and educating future teachers in the field of e-teach. During the project we received necessary equipment such as laptops – to be able to deliver classes online. The students are very interested in projects of this kind, and for us, the “Tekwill” initiatives are very important, because they support education. Through the “Tekwill” project, we can implement world-class initiatives that could arouse the interest of students and teachers.”

The “UTeach” project also encourages the use of IT tools to develop and implement programs to achieve performance in other areas of activity.

Irina Cojuhari, Associate Professor, PhD, Technical University of Moldova: “Within the “Tekwill Ambassadors” program, I participated in 3 projects. The first project was in 2018, in which together with the students at the Technical University of Moldova, tried to implement an “Intelligent system for cultivating agricultural crops”, setting out a greenhouse that works until now. In 2020, I applied for a new round “UTeach”. Within this collaboration, several workshops and a hackathon for students were organized. With the support of the “Tekwill” project, we had the opportunity to update the curriculum in several disciplines, to implement new technologies in teaching approaches and to carry out many interesting projects with students.”

During the two “UTeach” rounds, innovative ideas for modifying the ICT curriculum of 23 teachers from higher education institutions in the country were supported, at the same time, professors and students benefited from free access to internationally recognized educational programs at Oracle University: Java Fundamentals and SQL Fundamentals. Annually, these digital education empowerment initiatives create impactful opportunities for 2,000 students.

In 2021, the Tekwill project expands its network in the north and south of the country, bringing universities closer to benefit from various technologies and opportunities to improve the curriculum, modernize and update those disciplines and skills that are currently in demand in the labour market.

You can find the most sought-after technical professions at Tekwill Academy. For 4 Years, The Program Brings Innovation in Education

For 4 years, the “Tekwill Academy” project brings information technology closer to all those who have completed their university studies and wanted a retraining or acquisition of new professional skills for a future in IT. With 10 ongoing courses, the initiative has trained hundreds of people currently employed in the largest IT companies in the country, educated teachers at higher education institutions in Moldova and provided educational tools for thousands of young people in launching and developing their own projects. “Tekwill Academy” was created and operates within the TEKWILL project implemented by the National Association of ICT Companies with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Sweden.

In an innovative environment, following the latest trends on the labour market in the field of IT, “Tekwill Academy” prepares courses on specific topics, following an updated curriculum, taught by professional trainers in the field of ICT in Moldova and abroad. Out of the desire to provide technological education and support the development of industry not only in the capital, in the last two years, the project has expanded to the north and south of the country, and thus the TEKWILL project kicks off “[r]evolution reaches the whole country“.

Marcela Lupșa, graduate, Manual Quality Assurance course: “I found out about the Tekwill project since it opened, it was in the beginning. And for me it was a special place, even magical.”

Tatiana Ciaglic, graduate, Web Development course: “I consider that it is very useful and necessary for our country what Tekwill does. I liked the program; I liked the practical approach. We really worked on our projects and sites. We applied the theory in practice while learning, which is very important when learning technologies. The skills I acquired here I further put into practice in my work as an e-learning specialist. The training acquired at Tekwill, helped me launch a startup – which is a great success for me.”

Andrian Garștea, graduate, Web Development course: “The information I obtained here was very important to me. That is because there are days when we encounter some kind of barriers at work that I cannot cross. Thanks to the course I had here, it became easier for me to overcome these obstacles.”

And to help close the gap between specialists trained in educational institutions and the needs of the IT industry, in partnership with major international providers, “Tekwill Academy” offers courses with internationally recognized certifications: Oracle, ISTQB Foundation, etc.

Andrei Erhan, graduate, Python and Machine Learning Unlocked course: “After finishing this course, I have already obtained an internship, and the employment follows.”

Eugen Valah, graduate, ISTQB Foundation Level certification, Agile Tester Extension certification: “I came from another field, just like many others studying at Tekwill. I needed a certificate that officially proves my knowledge. I had the opportunity to take the ISTQB Foundation Level and Agile Extension exams.”

The success of the project does not end here: Tekwill Academy continues to expand in the regions. Professionals from other fields, enthusiasts and all those interested in IT can choose to study one of the courses that the program offers, and later – get an employment opportunity within an IT company in the region.

Corina Damaschin, project manager “Tekwill Academy”: “For 4 years, we trained over 1300 participants in the courses, we had over 5 thousand participants in activities such as meetups, labs, webinars, various events within the Tekwill center but also online. In the future, we plan to expand to more cities, so we can be your IT guide in your locality – closer and more accessible.”

Tekwill Academy also offers training programs for international certifications: Cisco, Oracle, Cyber ​​Security & Networks, SQL Fundamentals, JAVA Fundamentals, etc. Between 2018 and 2020, over 150 specialists have certified their knowledge in the field.

The “Tekwill In Every School” program expands nationwide

A new school year, more opportunities for educational institutions across the country. Starting in September, another 157 schools will be members of the most revolutionary educational program in the country – “Tekwill in every school”. Thus, in the school year 2021 – 2022, several hundred other students will have access to courses that will develop the skills and aptitudes necessary to be better prepared for the professions of the future.

Moreover, in the next period, the approximately 400 selected teachers will benefit from a complex program of continuous development in order to be prepared to teach optional subjects. The new phase of the project also comes with new optional courses, such as Artificial Intelligence, Mobile Application Design and Development and Entrepreneurship, in addition to the 3 already existing: C / C ++ Algorithm Programming, Web Design and Development, but also Graphic Design. At the same time, the courses taught in the school year 2020-2021 will be available in Russian for next year.

Currently, the project “Tekwill in every school” is implemented in 77 general secondary schools in the Republic of Moldova, which will continue to be members of the initiative in the future. Once the new schools are selected, in the 2020-2021 academic year, 234 schools and a total of 590 teachers will be connected to the program. Also, the estimated number of students who will study at least one of the 6 courses available on the platform is at least 20,000.

The list of selected institutions can be consulted here.

“Tekwill in every school” is committed to having more than 90% of high schools across the country by 2024. The courses taught in this initiative are placed on an eLearning platform – tekwill.online – which is intended for teachers and high school students, and so far, 5,327 students in grades 7-12 have already enrolled. Each course includes 34 lessons, which could be studied during an academic year, and each weekly lesson includes educational resources such as digital text, video, simulation exercises, interactive assessment tests, and for promotion a final project needs to be developed.

The program is developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research of the Republic of Moldova. The creation of courses within the project “Tekwill in every school” was possible by mobilizing the financial efforts of the private sector, citizens of the country and the diaspora and external development partners – USAID, Sweden, EU4Moldova and UNDP Moldova.

New Investments for the Development of ATU Gagauzia. A Center of Excellence in IT will be created in Comrat based on the Tekwill model in Chisinau

New investments in the development of ATU Gagauzia! According to a Memorandum of Understanding between the Executive Committee of ATU Gagauzia and TEKWILL, in the region will be operated more investments in education and training of local workforce in the field of ICT, encouraging innovation-based business, stimulating competitiveness in the local business environment, but also creating a center of excellence in IT. The action is part of TEKWILL’s expansion commitment – an important project for the development of the Moldovan IT sector, implemented with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Sweden.

Dereck J. Hogan, US Ambassador to Moldova: “The US Government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has supported the development of Moldova’s IT sector since 2005, improving the competitiveness of Moldova’s economy, promoting transparency, and improving governance. And we are delighted that today, at Comrat, we are witnessing the birth of another promising partnership – this time with Invest Gagauzia – with the aim of creating a Tekwill center of excellence in Comrat. The United States is a dedicated partner of the Republic of Moldova. For the past thirty years, we have built our relationship on the basis of common interests and mutual aspirations. Today’s signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is another proof that we are successful together.”

Anna Lyberg, Ambassador of Sweden to the Republic of Moldova: “I am glad to see TEKWILL expand and offer opportunities throughout Moldova. The evolution of TEKWILL is a success story, and its expansion takes place due to a strong commitment of the people of Gagauzia, which certainly changes and shapes the future of the country. Sweden is grateful for the partnership with USAID. Together we support ATIC in becoming the strong and stable actor on ICT digitalisation and innovation stage of the country. TEKWILL is an impressive and important initiative in advancing towards the sustainable development goals.”

ICT Center of Excellence – to connect the community to ideas, resources, and industry

The ICT Center of Excellence will be located at the State University of Comrat and will open its doors to the general public this autumn. Within it, several events will be organized in order to encourage the use of technologies, programs for entrepreneurs, educational programs for training and extension of skills, which meet the needs of the private sector. Investments in equipping the Center of Excellence in IT will be made through the TEKWILL project, and the Gagauz authorities, one of the signatories of the Memorandum who have committed to build and renovate the center from their own sources.

Irina Vlah, Bashcan of Gagauzia: “This platform will be an important stage for the development of the IT sector in Gagauzia and we will focus on this project to have results, as soon as possible. I wish that in 2-3 years, we list, together with you, the technologies and IT solutions that have been developed here by talented young people who attended the courses offered by TEKWILL so we can strongly declare that Gagauzia is not just a simple technology user, but an IT technology provider. Special thanks to the development partners, USA and Sweden, for the support provided, without which the construction of this platform would have been a difficult project at this stage.”

Ana Chirița, ATIC strategic project director / TEKWILL project director: “The IT sector is constantly rising, and the impressive results obtained in recent years set the necessary premises for investments in the development of the sector at national level. We are sure that this center will become a catalyst for the development of the town. Comrat, but also of the other localities in the region. We will implement several programs dedicated to any age – pupils, students, teachers, young professionals, etc. – in order to expand development opportunities in the region and create the premises for connecting the talent and potential of human capital with the possibilities offered by national and local IT companies.”

The first beneficiaries of TEKWILL projects in the Gagauz region will be students and teachers in general education. From September 1, they will study the subjects of the future in “Tekwill in every school” – the most complex extracurricular course program. Thus, 37 schools in the region will be connected to the national network and will learn 6 optional courses in the optional classes on the tekwill.online platform. Several TEWKWILL programs to encourage entrepreneurship and IT training will be extended in the region until the end of this year, such as: Tekwill Academy, Tekwill Academy Kids, Startup Academy, Startup Moldova Digital Upgrade, and others.

About TEKWILL

Tekwill was created in 2017 as the Center of Excellence of the ICT sector in Moldova, with the main goal of aligning the field with the requirements of the 21st century. To continue to contribute to increasing the competitiveness of the IT industry and other strategic sectors of the economy, the center has expanded the current fields of activity, becoming in 2019 a complex project at national level. The basic objective of the Tekwill Project, as a platform dedicated to the progress of the IT sector, is to ensure a major impact on the economic development of the country by improving the entrepreneurial and educational capacities of society members, but also the research and development potential of higher education institutions, in line with the demand on the IT market.

4 Years of TEKWILL – “[R]evolution Reaches the Whole Country”

From a center of excellence in IT – to a project of national importance! On the fourth anniversary of its activity, the TEKWILL project is committed to bringing information technology closer to people from all regions of Moldova and kicks off “[r] evolution that reaches the whole country.” In the 4 years of activity, the TEKWILL project launched and implemented programs for the development of excellence in ICT, contributed to the development of the workforce, supported entrepreneurship, and came up with know-how to create an ecosystem favourable to tech startups. Thus, for 4 years, funds of over $ 13 million were attracted, over 865 thousand hours of training were carried out, over 400 thousand people benefited from its programs and those supported together with other partners, and over 43% of them were girls and women. The TEKWILL project, founded in 2017, is implemented by the National Association of ICT Companies with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Sweden.

Anna Lyberg, Ambassador of Sweden to Moldova: “A few years ago, together with USAID Moldova, Sweden joined forces to create and develop a visionary initiative in Moldova – TEKWILL! And what a journey it was! TEKWILL was born from a partnership between the private sector and academia, where donors’ strategic priorities were incorporated. Thanks to TEKWILL we have stronger and substantial human resources in IT. We have an initiative that inspires children and young people to get involved in this field, encouraging them to stay in the country to work here, as well as support entrepreneurship and startups. We are glad to see that during these 4 years, around 78 thousand people have benefited from the activities carried out by TEKWILL and we are delighted that half of them are girls and women. Respectively, it is an initiative that helps them improve their lives and living conditions. I am also pleased to see TEKWILL expand its activities and projects in the regions by promoting digitalisation, which is worth celebrating today.”

Scott Hocklander, director of the USAID mission in Moldova: “It is remarkable and impressive for me to see this major movement and how far we have managed to move forward in such a short period of time. It is in this complicated period that it is very important to observe the things that can be considered small victories, some very positive opportunities, which is, in fact, TEKWILL for us. One of USAID’s main objectives in the Republic of Moldova is to support existing partnerships between businesspeople, academia, and the Government, in order to educate a workforce that will remain in the country. TEKWILL is a “technological awakening” of the Republic of Moldova. It is very clear that, in these 4 years, all the promises and achievements of the TEKWILL project have proved to be successful.”

Ana Chirița, director of the TEKWILL project: “4 years ago, we laid the foundations of the biggest tech dream we admire today in reality – TEKWILL. After many experiences, we can proudly say that one in 10 people in Chisinau has crossed our threshold and taken part in our initiatives, and one in 7 IT companies is our partner or has benefited from our programs. More. We have expanded our network of partners, we have developed fundamental TEKWILL projects in Bălți, Cahul and Comrat, we have welcomed dozens of students, teachers, specialists, and freelancers in “our home” dedicated to the IT sector. This year we will expand even more – we will connect 300 schools to TEKWILL programs, we will support and train hundreds of entrepreneurs, we will continue to lead the digital revolution. All my deep gratitude goes to those who believed in us – USAID, Sweden, the Government of Moldova, TUM, regional partners, ATIC and to each of our beneficiaries, who trust what we do.”

TEKWILL projects implemented in several regions of the country

In 2020, the projects developed by TEKWILL have expanded beyond the capital, to encourage the development of the ICT sector at national level. In the coming years, in the key regions of the Republic of Moldova will be created more centers of excellence in IT, educational programs will be developed for the training of the workforce in the field, the professions of the future will be brought closer to 95% of schools, SMEs- will be helped to acquire more digital skills, entrepreneurs will be supported on their way to success and much more. An important step taken by TEKWILL is the expansion in the southern region of the country.

Irina Vlah, the Bashkan of Gagauzia: “I am sure that a project can advance and generate results only if the people involved in its realization are constructive, inspired and talented people, they are people looking for solutions, people whose difficulties challenge them even more to find new ways to progress. I watched this project and I liked how you progressed, and I will admit that for a long time I have been looking for solutions to attract the experience, talent, and energy of TEKWILL in Gagauzia. We were inspired by the TEKWILL project and I am happy that we recently signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the project in the Autonomy of Gagauzia by creating a “Tekwill”-type center in Comrat. Our goal is to create in Comrat a platform that will become an amplifier of talent, youth energy, with opportunities to learn programming and create solutions and technical progress. I congratulate you on the occasion of the anniversary and I wish you to remain the locomotive of the development of this beautiful project and the development of the IT sector in Moldova. Happy birthday, TEKWILL!”

TEKWILL projects are on the rise in the north of the country, where since last year, development opportunities have been expanded to create the premises for connecting talent and potential of human capital with the possibilities offered by local IT companies.

Ion Bodrug, president of ACETI Bălți: “I want to congratulate the TEKWILL team for the successful results achieved so far. Until today, they were the ones who laid the solid foundations of the IT development methodology at national level. And now it is time to expand its activity and initiatives in all regions of the country. ACETI collaborates productively with the TEKWILL team, a prodigious partnership, that is why we are waiting for you in the north of the country with great programs that students, pupils and all those who want to develop their IT skills are eager to learn. Happy birthday, TEKWILL!”

Natalia Gașițoi, Rector of the “Alecu Russo” State University in Bălți: “We have been following the development of the TEKWILL project since its launch and we are happy to see so many partnerships connecting Moldovan industries and companies to the digital world. We bring words of gratitude and good wishes to the TEKWILL team and at the same time I would like to thank for the initiative and support offered in the construction of the ICT Center of Excellence in Balti, where I hope to see each other and collaborate through those projects that lead to technological transformation in regions.”

About TEKWILL

With the support of USAID and Sweden, Tekwill was created in 2017 as the Center of Excellence of the ICT sector in Moldova, with the main goal of aligning the field with the requirements of the 21st century. Aiming to contribute to increasing the competitiveness of the IT industry and other strategic sectors of the economy, the center has expanded its current fields of activity, becoming in 2019 a complex project at national level. The basic objective of the TEKWILL Project, as a platform dedicated to the progress of the IT sector, is to ensure a major impact on the economic development of the country by improving the entrepreneurial and educational capacities of society members, but also the research and development potential of higher education, in line with the demand in the IT market.

TEKWILL – “[r]evolution reaches the whole country”!