Many people have already learned that the Educational Center of the Hi-Tech Park has become a good starting point for future IT specialists: for example, just last year almost 750 students were trained here in various educational programs and courses. Now this important work on training personnel for the field of information technology has received recognition at the republican level: the HTP Educational Center became the winner of the first national competition Belarusian IT Awards in the category “IT Courses 2013”!
The Belarusian IT Awards is an open all-Belarusian award, the first and only of its kind, designed to appreciate the contribution and achievements of both individual specialists and entire companies in the development of the IT industry of our country. Its organizer is the largest IT portal in Belarus Dev.by.
At the end of 2013, more than 300 applications were submitted to the competition in 22 categories. 39 companies and 54 specialists reached the finals, including the Educational Center (in the “IT Courses 2013” category) and Business Analyst program teacher Victoria Piliptsevich (in the “Teacher/Trainer 2013” category).
Getting into the shortlist of the Belarusian IT Awards 2013 was in itself a great achievement for all employees of the HTP OC, but it turned out that the work of the center deserves even higher praise!
The project course.by ("free courses on trending technologies"), the IBA Training Center, Courses itmine.by ("exclusive training in IT") also made it to the final of the Belarusian IT Awards 2013 competition in the category "IT courses 2013" together with the HTP OC. ). The winner of the award was determined through an open vote of the entire IT community, as well as by a jury consisting of prominent and respected representatives of the Belarusian IT industry. And as it became known during the award ceremony, the HTP Educational Center took first place both in the “popular vote” and in the opinion of experts!
The HTP OC received the award with enthusiasm, but they view it not as the pinnacle of their activities, but as the next step on the path to further growth and improvement. The deputy director of the center for educational and methodological work, Vadim Zelenkov, spoke about this at the presentation of the award: “The emergence of the national Belarusian IT Awards is for all of us important evidence that the IT community of Belarus is becoming more mature and is moving from quantitative to qualitative growth.” Belarusian project IT Awards is, in my opinion, a unique opportunity to receive an objective assessment of our activities both from professionals and from the people for whom our center was created. Therefore, it is especially pleasant that the work of the HTP OC team was appreciated so highly. The Belarusian IT Awards is also a kind of sign of trust for us, which we must justify this year, and next, and so on. Obviously, the results of our center’s work are becoming more and more visible to the IT community - this is a great responsibility. , this means that we must meet the highest standards in everything."
The Educational Center of the Hi-Tech Park today has ten main programs (ASP.NET Developer, Business Analyst, C++ Developer, Development Practice, Front-end Developer, Java Developer, PHP Developer, Ruby Developer, Software Testing Engineer, “Promoting Internet Marketing” ) and a whole range of supporting ones (Design and Graphic, English for IT, iTeen Academy, “Career Management”, “Corporate and Open Trainings”).
The main features of the organization of training at the HTP Center are its practice-oriented nature, the relevance of the technologies taught here, as well as the organization of students’ work on projects in intensive practical programs developed according to the requirements and under the control of leading IT companies in Belarus.
In addition to training, the HTP Center pays special attention to assisting graduates in subsequent employment. This issue is dealt with by a separate HR specialist of the center, who provides methodological and practical assistance in drawing up resumes and distributing them to companies, conducts trainings on effective employment, and also organizes special events - external defenses of students’ graduation projects, to which representatives interested in personnel are invited replenishment of IT companies.
Over the two and a half years of the center’s activity, about 500 of its graduates have found employment in more than 100 IT companies in the country, including such well-known ones as EPAM Systems, Itransition, Belhard, Exadel, InToSoft, ISSoft, Elilink.
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I approached the choice of courses scrupulously, having studied the offers of several schools in English. Why did I choose the "HTP Educational Center"?
1. The test for the level of knowledge, in comparison with tests of other language schools, seemed to me more complex, versatile and deep, and, accordingly, most suitable for adequately assessing the level of English language proficiency.
2. During the consultation when choosing courses, they explained to me in detail all the organizational aspects associated with training, and gave me useful advice on choosing courses.
Looking ahead, I will say that I followed the advice and did the right thing by starting my studies at a lower level of the language than I originally planned. In a short time, I “refreshed” my skills, which allowed me to study at a higher level.
3. Free trial lesson and the opportunity to study from the middle of the course if there are free places in the group.
At the end of the course I will say the following:
1. English classes are intensive and interesting. Thanks to this, all students constantly interact with each other and communicate a lot during classes in English, that is, the group works in a state of “flow”: with maximum concentration, cheerfully, and purposefully.
2. In addition to specialized IT terminology, everyday topics are covered, as well as business English. All this is systematized, and it cannot be said that while learning one thing, you pay less attention to other aspects of the language: grammar, listening, etc. That is, after completing these courses you will be able to carry on a conversation on almost any topic with native speakers.
3. Careful analysis of homework. You can always ask a question about grammar, for example, and get a comprehensive answer from the teacher.
4. Positive and energetic teachers who encourage students' desire to know more about the subject through high-quality teaching methods. With proper work and homework, you can quickly improve your level of English and strengthen your language skills.
5. The entire learning process is focused on a specific result; a large amount of information is absorbed during the courses.
Thus, the courses are not only a well-thought-out and rigorous learning experience, but also a great time spent in a positive group environment.
"Educational Center of the Hi-Tech Park" ormodern forge of IT personnel in Belarus
Over the past 10 years, the IT field has been one of the most dynamically developing, and Belarus has something to be proud of in this regard. The IT industry is developing rapidly and steadily – the average annual growth is about 30%. The total export of IT services in 2014 exceeded $580 million, despite the economic crisis. As of January 1, 2015 the total number of employees in the Hi-Tech Park was 20,995 people, and 2,957 new jobs were created in 2014. The HTP Center trains highly qualified specialists capable of working in a dynamically developing industry. The center was created to satisfy the need for qualified personnel, and since the graduation of the first specialists, the center has come a long way in development and formation, and today we can be proud of the title of the best center for IT education. Every year our center trains more than 1,000 specialists in areas such as software development, testing, design, and business analysis.
In addition to the main training and internship program, graduates are provided with free training on effective employment, assistance is provided in preparing and sending their resumes to potential employers, vacancies are constantly monitored, and meetings are organized with companies interested in IT specialists.
Today, the center practices a multi-level modular training scheme: from basics in specialties (for beginners) to advanced levels (for those wishing to improve their skills). Here they work in intensive practical programs with real projects. The center cooperates with many IT companies (more than 40), and its graduates work in ISSoft, Elilink, Exadel, Itransition, EPAM Systems, InToSoft, Belhard and other well-known companies.
In 2014, about 90% of graduates who completed an internship and a full course of study were employed in IT companies in the country.
- Development of applications for mobile devices
- Software development
- Marketing
- Software testing
- Network technologies and system administration
- Business analysis
- Corporate and open trainings
- Design and graphics
- Foreign language courses
- Personal growth courses
- ITeen Academy
If you have no idea where to start and want to evaluate your strength in learning programming, then special " Basic online course in Java" - this is exactly what you need.
JLLC "Educational Center of the High Technology Park"
UNP 191435318
Types of IT courses: Graphic design, web design, computer from scratch, programming, system administration, web layout, photoshop, copywriting, SEO promotion, website creation, SMM, software testing
Types of English language teaching: Express course, general course for adults
This Monday visiting IT.TUT.BY - ElenaLokteva, Deputy Director of the Educational Center of the Hi-Tech Park. We discussed with her what kind of specialists the market needs and the options that training centers offer to those interested.
How much do the courses cost? How quickly do they pay for themselves? What to do before enrolling in courses? Is it easy to find a job after graduation? What are the most fashionable and promising trends? We discussed all these issues and the topic of IT training in general with Elena Lokteva.
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There are not enough personnel. If we are talking about IT, then there is a shortage of programmers for certain platforms...
- For example?
Java, .NET are very popular areas, there are not enough specialists. The profession of software tester is in demand. Moreover, testers are required of all kinds, with different skills (skills - approx. IT.TUT.BY), and they are not specially trained anywhere. There is a need for business analysts. Moreover, the need is no longer just for a business analyst as such, but for a business analyst specializing in finance, medicine... There are many projects and orders from different companies, and they need a person who speaks to them in an understandable language. The spectrum is very wide, and so far we cannot cover it all. However, we have plans to cover everything that is required.
What do IT people lack, besides technical knowledge? Will you focus only on technical knowledge or are you planning any additional special courses? For example, the “theory of negotiations”, which can be adopted by both programmers who want to sell themselves more profitably, and business analysts for whom this will be their main focus...
The job descriptions we received from Park resident companies contain many additional requirements. In addition to technical skills, additional knowledge is specified there: knowledge of English, ability to work in a team, ability to negotiate by mail and not by mail. It is clear that a little less is required from junior specialists, but people who lead teams need it all at a deeper level. Accordingly, there is a problem with knowledge of the language. At the same time, we will launch English courses for IT specialists. All modules will be built in such a way that a person will allegedly participate in the project and go through all its stages, but he will do it in English.
A little later, several courses will be developed on additional skills and the ability to work in a team. Trainings and seminars will be held to help people develop. Teachers try to keep track of those who come to our courses. And they say that very smart, talented, capable people come, they grasp everything, but they do not know how to communicate at all. And such a person will feel uncomfortable on the project. He needs to undergo personal growth training, and after that you can safely take him by the hand and bring him into the company, and everything will be fine with him.
- “Do you take your graduates by the hand” and lead them to interviews?
There was already a precedent. They took one graduate and took her for an interview. She currently works at Epam Systems.
There's a meaning. Indeed, many companies offer their own courses. Some are even paid money for studying. They pay, but not immediately.
- But in the worst case, it's free!
- In the best case, those who pass a certain stage and show themselves well can receive a scholarship. But it is quite difficult to get into these courses, because a person is initially considered as an applicant, a candidate for a place. Therefore, many requirements are placed on it. If we take a person who does not speak English and offer him to improve his English, then he simply will not get into the company’s courses without English.
Moreover, there is a certain group of people who are not covered by internal courses. In these courses, priority is given to people who already have technical training, basic knowledge and skills. With such people you can fuss less and immediately start deeper things. In our case, many people come who do not have any special training. The girl I mentioned today studied at Narxoz and had little to do with programming...
- She would probably make a good business analyst...
She made a good tester. Although a big load immediately fell on her, she is happy with everything so far. As for other courses, I think there will be several differences between us and them. Firstly, all our programs and developments are closely related to companies. We don’t take an abstract program out of thin air, we don’t copy books into our handouts. We immediately went to the companies, asked who they needed, what he should be able to do, and pledged to train such a person. We undertake to prepare it from scratch, take on certain obligations, are ready to tinker with it, and support it morally.
- Even “hardened humanitarians”?!
Good term. In my opinion, which is based on practical experience, there are no unteachables. There are simply people with whom you need to fuss more, and there are people with whom you need to fuss less. We take on the labor if necessary to tinker with someone more. Companies cannot afford this, because they simply do not have time for this, they are not ready to bother with someone for their money. We are closely linked to business needs. This is probably what our universities lack in the first place, because they cannot adapt their programs to what is needed and do not have time to change programs.
We offer a variety of forms of training. In addition to the face-to-face trainings that we already have, we will be launching a remote form in the near future. This will allow people who cannot attend evening, fairly intensive courses to study. In addition, a package of free distance learning courses is being prepared. Those who want to get basic training will be able to...
- Download and pass!
You won't even need to download it. We have a training portal, while it is working in test mode. A person will be able to get an account on the portal and study through it, ask educational questions. These courses will be supported by our teachers and counseling will be available.
Teachers are a sore subject everywhere. In companies, for internal training they have to remove specialists who are needed on projects. It’s hard in universities because salaries are low and everyone leaves for companies. Who teaches at your center? How satisfied are the students with them? Do these people have practical experience?
First of all, we focus on people who have practical experience. If a person talks about testing, he knows firsthand and not from books what it is.
- But a good footballer is not always a good coach. Are you trying to find "both"?
Fortunately, we have several people who have good coaching experience and 7-10 years of experience in IT. They have developed material, experience working with any audience, and at the same time they really know the issue. Accordingly, the group feels quite good with them. People who lack teaching experience, or have very little, or do not have a good set of developed programs, need to be helped to open up.
Every second person can have teaching skills. The point is different. We spend a lot of time and effort on our teachers who need additional support. We conduct internal training and send them to trainings. Epam Systems has internal trainings, and we can send our teachers to them. They are ready to train them using their programs. We spare no time or money to ensure that educators who need inspiration get it. We support them and try to encourage them.
- Don’t they complain about salaries?
We try to keep salaries at the level of IT company developers, depending on how ready a person is for certain things.
Will you somehow use teachers who were trained by the Hi-Tech Park in India? Or are these different structures? Does Indian Cooperative Educational Center have any relation to your educational center?
In general, these are two different structures. The Belarusian-Indian Center deals with other issues.
- It seems to me that he should also train IT specialists...
It trains not only IT specialists. Now they have many correct, necessary and timely programs. They train teachers and school teachers.
- That is, their work is more of a social nature...
They invite IT specialists from companies who talk about the latest trends. Teachers cannot adapt their curriculum so quickly, but they can redo some assignments and organize electives. This is very necessary. I had to deal with teachers from one of our technical universities who don’t really know how to use email! Naturally, something needs to be done about this situation. HTP regularly gathers teachers from universities and schools throughout Belarus. He has regional classes, they can travel to Brest, Grodno, gather people there and hold conferences. All these classes are connected by video conferencing. Even if they do not have the opportunity to travel around the regions, they can conduct such useful events remotely.
- You said that you plan to involve, among other things, graduates of this center.
As part of the Belarusian-Indian project, 8 of our specialists traveled to India and completed an internship there for six months. They studied in different directions and received diplomas. We attract them, some work for us, some have prepared programs, and we plan to launch them in the near future. They are preparing different programs, and I hope that with their help we will be able to cover many important and relevant areas.
Returning to the topic of training costs: companies can get it for free, subject to additional requirements. You have it for a fee. How much does it cost on average to train an IT specialist, and how quickly does it pay off? Do you track the job placement rates of your graduates?
I can’t give you numbers, because we “started” only in May of this year. During this time, we are currently training the fourth group. Those who started in May have not yet completed enough courses to be able to recommend them to companies. They still have to go through some more steps. Some started just a week ago. Moreover, it is still too early to recommend them. Therefore, I cannot say that we are experiencing widespread employment, and I cannot provide you with a beautiful table.
- Yes, at least a year must pass.
The girl we mentioned completed two training courses, that’s a month and a half, and then ended up in the company. They had a small group, only 8 people. We weren't even upset that it was so small, because it's better to start with a small group and focus on it. Now this group is completing one more block of training.
The fact is that our educational program consists of modules. If a person needs to go to the next block, but lacks some knowledge, he can go to a neighboring program, take an additional piece from there, pull himself up and continue along his line. We can, like Lego, assemble individual training programs and track progress.
For some, two courses are enough. There are guys from the same group who were missing two courses, but after completing the third, with a certain degree of confidence, they can be guaranteed something. They take the issue seriously, study and work a lot. Our lessons are not limited to what happens in the classroom. In addition to this, there are home buildings, work on the forum, and additional individual consultations. Therefore, I cannot conduct an analysis yet. If there is interest, we can return to this issue in six months.
First of all, we are interested in our graduates finding employment in IT companies, in the Hi-Tech Park. We were created to help train personnel and fill a huge number of vacancies in these companies, which number in the hundreds and are growing rapidly.
- How much does it cost to “learn” on average in the market?
I recently visited five educational center websites and was a little horrified. Our prices will now rise. But the prices at which we sell our software may seem outrageous. Somewhere one and a half times more, somewhere - two. There are unimaginable prices: for a course of 40 hours - 300 thousand. I understand where this price comes from...
We attract enough qualified teachers who are able to train a developer in a company such as Epam Systems. Accordingly, this teacher will not come to me out of love for the profession. He needs to be paid a good salary. Our cost is higher because we want to motivate our teachers to work.
The demands we place on teachers are very high. One of our very qualified teachers, who has been working as an internal trainer for Epam Systems for 6 years and teaches in a bunch of other places, says that in two weeks of course preparation we did more than in six years of work at a university. At first he thought that he had everything ready and just needed to make a little adjustment. But when I came up with a list of requirements, what should be in the materials and how they should look, it turned out that everything was much more serious. Serious work is being done, programs are not taken out of thin air, but come from requirements. In order to guarantee some result, I must be able to demand quite a lot from the teacher. The more I demand from him, the more he wants to earn.
- In essence, are you positioning yourself as a premium brand in IT education?
We will strive to become leaders in this area.
One module lasts 36 hours. This is three weeks, three times a week. In fact, this is a very intensive course. To prepare for Java, you need to complete three such modules. Just over two months. One module in August cost from 540 thousand to 630 thousand, depending on the level of complexity. At the same time, there is a system of discounts. Those who take two or more modules receive a discount.
Now prices will rise. I won’t tell you how they will grow, because I don’t want to mislead. In general, we have always focused on the cost of 100 dollars and beyond. This will depend on the difficulty level. We have courses for people with experience who need more advanced training. Such a program is more expensive because it requires more in-depth study and serious training of teachers.
What evidence do you have that you are claiming to be a premium educational center? What certificate do you issue? At the end of the course, do you guarantee that the graduate will be invited for an interview? Or do you just take pictures with them and then part ways?
I'll tell you everything as it is, I won't embellish anything. We opened in May and we are not accredited by the Ministry of Education, so we do not issue diplomas or government certificates.
- But are they needed in IT companies?
In fact, they pay little attention to what stamps you have on your document. The person is still tested at the interview. He can bring a whole bunch of documents, but they may not help him.
- But it’s still more pleasant with a fan.
It’s more pleasant with a fan, but, as they say, “they hit you in the face, not your passport.” One module for beginners is not enough for us to give a guarantee or recommendation. One module is enough for us to understand that this is “our man”, and we should pay increased attention to him, because he has potential. Until a person has manifested himself, we note this to ourselves and try to get the best out of him. After each module, a person receives a certificate stating that he has attended the corresponding course.
- Still, he has something to come with!
We aim to work so that it is not just a beautiful testimony, but that it commands respect. This requires a lot of time to pass. You have to earn the right to wave this certificate at the entrance. People who pass the minimum required block meet all the requirements for a junior Java developer. After this, not a certificate will be issued, but a paper that will indicate what skills the person has.
We do not promise a 100% guarantee of employment, because everything depends not only on us. This is half our result, and half the result of man. There are people who pay money and then just sit in class. The teacher crucifies, we talk, exhort that we need to study.
- Don’t give twos?
We don’t, because we are teaching adults, not playing cat and mouse with them. Everyone understands everything. But the person listens, smiles, says “okay” and does nothing further. If this person says that studying is one thing, but “he would move mountains at work,” I know that this is vile self-deception, because just as he studies, he will work. I will not disgrace myself and will not recommend it to anyone. In the worst case, this person will waste his time and money. It’s nice for us to talk to him and for him to talk to us. If he is willing to pay for it - for God's sake.
Most of those who come to us take it seriously and know why they came. Usually this is visible already at the entrance, and during the course you see that this is confirmed. When people first call us, I explain everything to them in great detail. A person knows where he is going, he knows that there will be demands, he knows that he will have to work not only in class, and he will have to not only listen. All our courses are structured in such a way that, in general, there are no lectures: you sit down and do something right away.
- Programming.
Not always. Testers don't always have to program and don't always have to work on a computer. Sometimes they sit in groups and work in workbooks, complete assignments and solve cases. Everything here is active, dynamic, the pace is very intense. Whoever is ready will return this money quickly enough, because salaries in the IT industry have always been good. The people who work there feel quite confident even in a crisis situation. If a person wants to join this environment and feel confident and work for a promising industry, he can do it. We believe that paying $100 three times for a month of training only to forget on your first paycheck how you spent such ridiculous money is not much.
- In general, the payback period is a month or two...
I think that if a person is successfully employed, he will return this amount quickly enough.
We have such an idea, and large companies are interested in having good specialists come to them. We are starting negotiations with large companies to organize certified courses at our training center. We are looking for teachers because getting permission from the vendor is not enough. Maybe we will train our teachers so that they can work on vendor programs. I won’t talk about timing, but we will get there. This is one of the areas in which we are going to work.
What new things will you offer this school season? You now have programs for Java and testing. Where will you grow next?
Since September, we have been launching a program for training .NET developers. C Sharp, PSP Net. We are also planning a training program for C++ developers. There is quite a large demand for them not only among companies, but also on the market. We will prepare these programs in full-time and full-time-remote formats. A lot of people call from Brest, Gomel, Molodechno: they cannot come to Minsk three times a week, but on Saturday and Sunday they could and would be happy to study in full-time distance learning. They are waiting for such programs, and we will launch them.
- Is there only full-time training now?
- “Which side should you turn on the computer from?”
No. Programming for beginners, databases for beginners, web design for beginners... For example, as part of training for a Java developer, you need to spend a little time on a specific topic. And the same topic should be given to other specialties. I don’t want to stretch out the Java program because of this block and force teachers to waste time on it. But there are teachers who can prepare these units and deliver them to support different programs. These will be satellite courses that people can take remotely.
At the same time, they will not be left alone with the material. There are many practical tasks, self-tests, and support on the forums. If something doesn’t work out, the person will be able to get advice. Having completed such courses, people will be able to feel more confident in more complex programs.
I'll be glad. We need someone who will be inspired by the very idea of putting on a program. He must come up with it. We have a leader in the testing program, he himself came up with it and developed it. And other teachers are with him, but they help and support him. But the ideological leader and father of this program is this man. We need a father like that for our mobile development program.
Based on your experience working with IT students, what advice would you give them before they come to you or your competitors? What is advisable to do before coming to study? And is it necessary to come to study? In general, there are plenty of books, there is the Internet...
Regarding the fact that there are “books in abundance,” I’ll tell you one case about why people will still take courses. Once upon a time, a student came to me for a course on 3D Max. Literally in the second lesson, I realized that some questions, on the contrary, I should ask her. I endured two more classes, and then, when she once again showed herself, I approached her and asked why she came to the course and what I could teach her. She said that she sits at home, creating the most complex three-dimensional models of airplanes, tanks, and ships. Those who do this understand that this is not such a simple thing. And I tell her how to move the cubes and so on. She says she can do it at home (and she does), but “no one will praise her at home.” I laughed that a teacher doesn’t need to know what he teaches: it’s enough for him to simply praise his students. I had students who studied full-time and remotely. I only saw them during orientation and the exam. They didn't bother me and we barely communicated. I asked why they actually took the course on their own and didn’t ask a single question. They replied that they did not need questions answered. They need to have a person they can turn to at any time. They are ready to come to know that someone is behind them and will always support and advise.
I would recommend little, but something that would help everyone. Before you decide to take courses or do IT in general, ask your friends in the IT field how they work and what they do. In the end, you can go online and read about what a tester or programmer is, what technologies exist now, what it means to work on an IT project, what it means to work in an IT project team. It happens that people want to become a tester or Java, but they don’t quite understand where they are going and what will happen to them next. These are basic things.
If a person is confident and understands that he really wants to learn this, then let him come to us, we will talk to him, decide what is interesting to him and what will suit him. We are now preparing a serious assessment procedure at the entrance in order to select the optimal training program and optimal career development for him based on a person’s abilities. For our part, we will work for this. Little is required from a person: to obtain information for himself in order to understand where he is going and what we can offer him.
- You can wish our listeners, readers and viewers something...
I would like to wish that everyone finds themselves, their place in life. The main thing is to find something that you really want to do. For this cause, there will always be strength and desire, additional resources. The right people will come into your life, money will come so that you can do what you want. If our training center can help you with this, we are always glad to see you and are always open. We are ready to do everything possible on our part, but in the meantime I wish you cheerfulness and optimism. The school year begins, the itch begins, I want to learn, I want something new. I wish you to get this new thing, learn something and move forward in life.
Elena Lokteva
In the past, Elena led the Center for Distance Education of the IBMT BSU and the corporate training center of the Armtek Group of Companies, and also took part in the development of electronic educational content for several distance learning systems (in universities and international companies) as a developer, scriptwriter and leader of project teams.
She was involved in the development and implementation of advanced training and retraining programs for personnel in Web design and computer graphics at the IPKiPK BNTU, IBMT BSU, and the Center for Educational Technologies Belkhard.