In May 2011, in response to the growing demand for software testers in the market, CES launched the Testing Career. Ten years after this milestone and at the height of the online training boom, the innovation with this training, which currently has more than 400 graduates, is cause for celebration.
A bit of context
The year 2009. The regional market was demanding an increasing number of software testers and companies were looking to train their teams in this discipline. Even visualising these opportunities, many people began to explore job offers in this field.
At that time, CES was already providing face-to-face training for companies. The Hacé Click programme and many other instances generated by Cuti were part of this process and set a precedent: new alternatives were needed to teach software testing.
With Mónica Wodzislawski at the helm as Head of Training, long hours of research and exchange led to the creation of the first syllabus for the Testing Career. It consists of three diplomas: Software Tester, Professional Tester and Testing Leader. Each of these denotes a different level of knowledge, experience and specialisation, the three dimensions in which a testing professional develops.
This training was innovative at a global level, as it was the first comprehensive training in software testing and it was offered online. It would allow students to take it from wherever they were and at whatever time they wished.
Beginnings and progress
On 2 May 2011, a group of 23 students started the Testing course, with such success that a second group was opened in August. This situation was repeated in the first years, so that nowadays two annual starts are offered.
Several ICT, financial and governmental companies trained their teams in one or more levels of the course. The general public also joined in, many of whom would go on to get their first job in software testing. Among these students were people from Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay and Argentina, among others.
More than 20 organisations have joined the annual sponsorship of the Career, through which the CES offers scholarships to people in vulnerable employment situations. Inefop has been a great supporter in this regard, providing scholarships and grants for the training of dozens of students every year. In recent months, the two organisations have worked together on a new experience: dual training. Several Cuti's partner companies have joined in.
The training offered is dynamic, the updating of its contents has not stopped. The sector does not have time and needs to be constantly updated. The ESC's links with industry and academia have enabled it to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and to adapt the training.
The amphitheatre of the Faculty of Engineering of UdelaR is used to host the annual diploma award ceremony; an iconic moment in which students and teachers have met in person. Hundreds of friends, family members, members of the Academy and Industry have accompanied the students every December to celebrate the awarding of their diplomas, in this event that has been interspersed with musical performances, magic shows and humour.
10 years in numbers
Monica Wodzislawski says that "its fundamental importance lies in the fact that it allows, through its three Diplomas, to increase the human capital of the IT industry, to specialise and professionalise testing activities, as well as to contribute to the creation of a culture of quality and excellence in software".
Some interesting facts that emerge from these ten years are in the percentages of students with respect to their gender. Globally, women represent approximately 30% of the IT industry. However, the Software Tester diploma on average has had 40% of them, increasing in the period 2020/2021 to 48%. Even when looking at the advanced diplomas of the Career, the parity between both genders is higher.
In turn, in terms of age groups, relevant figures also emerge. For example, in the first level, the majority of students do not exceed 30 years of age, while the opposite is true for the advanced levels. This aspect is mainly noticeable in the Testing Leader diploma, where the majority of students are closer to 40 years of age.
In terms of the number of students, more than 500 have passed the Software Tester diploma, with around 400 completing their studies. Of these, around 100 have also passed the Professional Tester diploma, and almost 50 of them have completed the entire course. In addition, 2021 became the year with a record number of enrolments, reaching 70 people at the beginning of March. And many more will start on 12 July in a new edition.
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