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The opening ceremony of “IT SkillSprint”, an international-level intensive education program on digital skills in the country’s higher education institutions, has been held.
This was reported to “Elchi” by the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IRIA).
The project is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, the Ministry of Science and Education, IRIA, the State Agency for Science and Higher Education, and the “Ironhack” training company.
Farid Osmanov, Chairman of the Board of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency, Ulkar Sattarova, Chairman of the State Agency for Science and Higher Education, and Gonzalo Manrique Sabatel, Director of “Ironhack”, spoke at the event. It was noted in the speeches that the main goal of the program is to strengthen students’ knowledge and practical skills in modern technologies, prepare them for the global labor market, and develop university-industry cooperation. At the same time, the project aims to implement global IT education standards in Azerbaijani universities.
123 students from various higher education institutions, studying in the second semester of the 3rd year, who were admitted to the university with 400 or more points, were selected for the program. The selection process for participants consisted of registration, a test exam assessing basic knowledge, and an interview stage.
The program covers data analytics and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, web programming, and DevOps. The training will be organized in a hybrid learning format. At various stages of the program, international mentors will conduct intensive classes in Baku. The training process, designed in the “Bootcamp” model, will allow students to work on real projects and form a professional portfolio.
In addition, the program will also provide additional development opportunities for students, such as hackathons, career fairs, and networking events. Participants who successfully complete the training will receive a certificate from the internationally recognized “Ironhack” company.
The program will last for a total of 6 months, covering February–July 2026. This period will be considered part of the students’ bachelor’s education in higher education institutions, and the participants’ success indicators (academic credits) will be recognized by the universities. Thus, students will be exempted from other subjects and will be able to focus only on this training program.
It should be noted that “Ironhack”, a global technology training company, has been providing students with practical skills in the international IT field since 2013. To date, 75% of the company’s graduates, who have trained more than 25,000 specialists, have been employed after completing the program. Currently, these graduates work in more than 800 global companies.
