ENTERPRISE INCUBATOR FOUNDATION TO CONDUCT NEW STUDY ON INFORNATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR WITH ASSISTANCE OF USAID-FINANCED CAPS PROJECT

Noyan Tapan

Ju ne 23, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The Interprise Incubator Foundation
(EIF) will conduct a study on Armenian IT sector with the assistance
of the USAID-financed Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS)
project. The results of the study will be published in October, NT
correspondent was informed by Armen Abrahamian, coordinator of the
CAPS IT cluster.

According to him, the last study on the sector was conducted in 2005
and its results were published in 2006. Unlike the previous research,
this one will reflect the qualitative indices of the services provided
by IT companies, the description of the jobs and the requirements to
professional skills, and the current situation regarding educational
institutions for IT specialities.

A. Abrahamian said that the teaching staff of these educational
institutions is not ready to ensure the necessary level of education,
and there is a need to to retrain the lecturers and prepare new
ones. It was mentioned that the experts engaged in IT industry either
teach with reluctance or lack the required pedagogical knowledge
and skills.

The CAPS, the EIF and the Union of IT Enterprises of Armenia (UITE)
have launched a joint project on formation of an IT educational center
in order to solve the problem of training IT sector employees and
lecturers and certify their skills. School teachers of information
science will also undergo training at the center. In the opinion
of A. Abrahamian, all IT enterprises will benefit from the center’s
operation from the financial point of view as well, because many of
these enterprises spend money on the education and training of their
employees abroad, which is more expensive than their centralized
teaching and training in Armenia. Steps are also being taken to
establish IT education and training structures on the basis of IT
companies or comprehensive schools in Armenian marzes.