Part of the first generation met this Friday at the 1st Regional Meeting, the rest of the students will meet in Colonia and Durazno, in May. The initiative is funded by the National Institute of Vocational Training.
b_IT Program is an initiative of the Uruguayan Chamber of Information Technology (Cuti) with funding from the National Institute of Employment and Vocational Training (Inefop), which trains people over 18 years old with 4th year of high school or equivalent in Information Technology. The course is 100% online and lasts 2 years.
The first edition of this program was launched in 2018 and this Friday, in Kibón, the 1st Regional Meeting of the b_IT Program was held. More than 400 students from Montevideo and Canelones of the 2018 generation presented their final projects of the 1st year. The rest will present their projects in instances that will be held in May in the departments of Colonia and Durazno.
The director of Inefop, Fernando Ubal, stressed that the program trains people in a sector with zero unemployment and requires more skilled jobs. He also announced the call for the 2019 generation, with a quota for 1,000 people and in which there are already more than that amount interested. It is a project that seeks parity between Montevideo and the interior, as well as gender parity. The deadline for registration closes on April 19, at 17:00 hours and the rules can be found at bit.cuty.org.uy.
Ubal highlighted the follow-up rate of this course, which exceeds 60%, a figure valued as positive, since virtual courses tend to reach follow-up rates of less than 40%. He specified that the figure of the mentor was implemented, who accompanies both the teacher and the students in the course and is essential to achieve continuity in the study. It also makes it possible to adapt the contents to the needs of the students' contexts.
The investment for this project is one million dollars per year per generation, so this year, between the second year of the first generation of b_IT and the generation that begins in 2019, Inefop will contribute two million dollars in total.
High demand for work in the sector
The president of Cuti, Leonadro Loureiro, stressed that the sector requires a labor reconversion of other professions that approach the industry and are trained in different types of tools. In this logic, programs aimed at this type of activities are being developed.
Based on a survey that is conducted annually, it was revealed that currently more than 2,600 people specialized in this area are required and said that "today we cannot cover that need with the offer that comes out of the academy". Currently, between 600 and 800 people graduate from all technical courses and universities. Another survey, more specific and by knowledge sectors, revealed that more than 650 specialized people are needed in cybersecurity.
Source: Presidency
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