Kyiv, 24 July 2023 – The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine launched the IT Generation project in the summer of 2022 to give free training to Ukrainians in IT specialties at IT schools around the country. Now the project has come to an end, having helped 1,877 students successfully master new IT specialties and find employment.

Oleksandr Borniakov, the Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, noted that IT Generation was a flagship project of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, as the development of IT education is very important for the future economic and technological growth of the country. 

“IT Generation is only the beginning,” Borniakov said. “We’ll continue to help talented Ukrainians build a successful career path in the promising tech industry.”

Christophoros Politis, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ukraine, said his organization is committed to supporting livelihoods and employment of Ukrainians – all of which are priority issues for the Government.

“Our ultimate goal is to provide opportunities and give people ownership of their lives and futures,” he said. “Through our strategic partnership with Sweden and the Digital Transformation Ministry, and through the IT Generation project, we helped Ukrainians affected by the war to gain new knowledge and a competitive profession. This will help them get new sources of livelihood.”

Training under the project lasted from September 2022 to July 2023, the time of study depending on the school and the specific course. Some 378 students studied Front End, 299 studied QA, 231 – UI/UX Design, 214 – Python, 182 – Project/Product management, 152 – Java, 151 – JavaScript, 105 – HR, 88 – Digital Marketing, 46 – Business Analysis, and 31 – BlockChain.

Stepan Veselovskyi, CEO of the Lviv IT Cluster, added that education is one of the company's priority directions. Together with IT companies and universities, the Lviv IT Cluster has launched 19 modernized bachelor's degree study programmes in Lviv. More than 4,500 students now study on these programmes.

“The tech sphere is a branch of human capital, so the development of education is an investment in the future of the tech industry,” Veselovskyi said. “We’re grateful to our partners and the Ministry of Digital Transformation for fruitful cooperation and work on the IT Generation project. Together, we created an opportunity for every Ukrainian to get a new promising profession for free, and start a successful career in IT – despite the challenges of the war and these difficult times for Ukrainian IT.”

As of mid-July, 147 of the students had already found work in the IT field. Most often, project students found work in Project (Product) Management, HR, and JavaScript. Most of those who found jobs were graduates of the following schools that participated in the project – GoIT (20.6% of all students), Source IT (19%), and A-Level (15.7%).

Scholarships for 1,830 students were provided by project partner Binance Charity. Another 370 participants studied with the support of schools.

Kyrylo Khomiakov, Binance General Manager for Ukraine, said the IT Generation project was an important milestone in the company's partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation. 

“We’re very pleased that the project has demonstrated real value,” Khomiakov said. “The project was designed to support Ukrainians who had lost their jobs due to the war, and is yet more proof of the positive impact of cryptocurrencies and blockchain on the transformation of our society.”

A total of 2,200 students took part in the project. They were selected from the more than 200,000 Ukrainians who applied to IT schools during the two-week application period for the project announced last year.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine launched the IT Generation project at the end of June 2022. It was carried out in partnership with the Binance Charity and the Lviv IT Cluster, and with support from the USAID Competitive Economy Programme and the “Digital, Inclusive, Accessible: Support to Digitalisation of Public Services in Ukraine” Project, which is being implemented by UNDP in Ukraine with financial support from Sweden. 

Media inquiries

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Communications Team Leader, yuliia.samus@undp.org