The TECH ORDA program, implemented on the initiative of ICRIAP RK on the basis of Astana Hub, is gaining momentum. This is a government project that helps to master the skills in demand in the best programming schools in Kazakhstan for free. By 2025, it is planned to train 20,000 IT specialists to cope with the shortage of personnel and open up new IT career opportunities for motivated Kazakhstanis.

The Hexlet School of Programming began its work in Kazakhstan in 2023, and this academic year it participates in the Tech Orda program for the first time. 

The program started at the end of September and will last 40 weeks. We have received grants for training in four professions:

• frontend developer;
• Python Developer;
• Java Developer;
• PHP developer.

1,060 people applied to the program, and after three rounds of selection, we invited 10 participants to study: 7 of them came on their own, three were sent by the employer. Another 6 students were placed on reserve.

The participants of the program are from 20 to 36 years old. They represent Astana, Aktobe, Almaty and Almaty region. Most of them already work in IT or related fields. For them, training is a way to improve their skills, upgrade their hard skills and step onto a new career step. 

Talgat Toreniyazov works as a senior instrument engineering engineer at an international oil and gas company: 

“I have a wealth of experience in the field of automated control systems. I think that programming is an opportunity to expand your skills and deepen your knowledge in a completely new field. Sometimes there is not enough time to complete tasks, as there are only 1-2 hours left after work. But despite this, I am not behind schedule.”

Askar Sankibayev from Aktobe spoke about his background and shared his experience working with our LMS:

“I have been in IT for more than eight years, I started actively programming in 2022. Before that, I only tried different languages periodically. The main one is Python, and I'm also a little familiar with React. I'm taking an advanced Python course. It is convenient that the lessons are divided into small pieces. I expect to deepen my knowledge and put it into practice."

The youngest participant of the program, Dias Torgambaev, is 20 years old. He strives to improve his experience in web development:  

“I had a little experience with HTML and CSS. I want to learn how to create modern and functional websites, and also work confidently in a team. The first weeks were intense, I learned a lot, although sometimes it was difficult. I am sure that with the help of practice I will be able to overcome all difficulties.”

Our task is to accompany and support students so that they successfully complete their studies. 16 participants of the program study theory, perform practical tasks on the platform, and participate in weekly webinars.

Mentors conduct webinars, answer assignment questions, and do code reviews. The curators organize the learning process, take care of the motivation of students and monitor academic performance.

Students of the Tech Orda program are in a special position, as they have strict deadlines stipulated by the contract. The courses are divided into modules and involve four or five practical projects. After completing everything, graduates of the course will receive a certificate.

In addition to the main content of the course, you can put your knowledge into practice and replenish your portfolio by participating in open source projects.

"In the first month, students of the course usually "swing": someone moves quickly, and someone approaches the process carefully. The students of the Tech Orda program have the same progress as our other students. If someone fails, students from the reserve will take their places, which adds additional motivation to study,” comments Artur Butyugov, Product Director of Hexlet.

#Tech Orda 2024, #Astana Hub, #Hexlet