Dev the Devs project providing IT training at no charge for public school students of Rio Grande do Sul
Photo: Pexels
The Information Technology (IT) market is expected to create 420,000 new jobs by 2024, according to the Brazilian Association of Information Technology and Communication Companies (Brasscom). However, 150,000 of those jobs are estimated not to be filled due to the shortage of qualified people. In this context, the Dev the Devs program will provide training opportunities for young people who want to start a career in IT.
The program consists of an online introduction to system development, at no charge, for 1,000 public High School students – 500 boys and 500 girls – from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The program will run from November to February in five modules that can be completed whenever and wherever the student wishes. The program also features live sessions.
The program is coordinated by PUCRS’ Science and Technology Park (Tecnopuc), by the Rio Grande do Sul Network of Innovative Environments (Reginp) and by the Association of Technology Companies (Assespro-RS), with support from the State Department of Education, the Department of Innovation, Science and Technology and Inova RS. On top of that, it is sponsored by the Regional Development Bank of the Extreme South (BRDE).
PUCRS’ and Tecnopuc’s Superintendent of Innovation and Development, Dr. Jorge Audy highlights the importance of the initiative’s social impact. “With Dev the Devs we want to reinforce the social impact that guides our institutional actions. We hope that these thousand young people make the most of this training and become technology professionals in our ecosystem of innovation in Rio Grande do Sul. We are sure that this is just the beginning of a program that will change many lives. All participating student will be protagonists of their own story. Education is the means though which each one of them will be able to build their future. We want to be together in this construction”.
According to the Secretary of Education of Rio Grande do Sul, Raquel Teixeira, the public education system, which embraces 82% of all students from Rio Grande do Sul, needs to create opportunities such as Dev the Devs to prepare professionals for the future. “In the world ahead of us, with virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence and the internet of things, we need to guide our young people towards a new model. It is no longer possible to think of innovation as a trait of some people and some groups. An ecosystem requires the involvement of everyone”.
Raquel Teixeira also emphasizes that promoting the insertion of 1,000 public school students in TI is a gift. “It is a gift not only for these students and their families, but also for the State whose responsibility is to prepare its most precious resource – human capital – for a modern and prosperous future”, she adds.
