BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. The Digital
Development Agency (IDDA) is preparing to sign a cooperation
agreement with Apple, the head of the Digital Competencies
Development Department at the Innovation and Digital Development
Agency (IDDA), Vusala Gurbanova, said during the event on "Digital
skills: today's results, tomorrow's opportunities" held in Baku on
Tuesday, Trend’s
correspondent reports from the event.


According to her, as part of the collaboration, the eight
selected instructors will receive Apple Certified Trainer
certification. They will subsequently organize training sessions in
Azerbaijan, primarily for university students.


Gurbanova noted that the instructors were selected from among
candidates nominated by universities. To this end, requests were
sent to higher education institutions asking them to identify
instructors who teach courses on operating systems, particularly in
the field of iOS programming.


“We reached out to universities and asked them to nominate
instructors who teach iOS programming and operating systems. Our
goal is to train these instructors so that they, in turn, can
conduct training sessions for university students,” she said.


The department head also spoke about other projects of the
Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA) in the field of
digital skills development.


She noted that 15,000 schoolchildren are expected to participate
in this year’s Webros IT Olympiad. In addition, Holberton School
Azerbaijan has trained 447 graduates in fields such as artificial
intelligence, machine learning, computer science, full-stack
programming, and cybersecurity.


According to Gurbanova, the IDDA also conducts training sessions
on artificial intelligence in the regions. Currently, out of the
405 people participating in these training sessions, 300 represent
20 regions of Azerbaijan. The remaining 105 people are
participating in training sessions as part of various programs,
including those focused on integrating artificial intelligence
elements into the IT sector. Among them are employees of government
agencies.







“120 people joined the project, and all 120 completed the
program. No one dropped out or received a failing grade.
Immediately after the project ended, the employment rate stood at
31%,” Gurbanova emphasized.


According to her, 101 people have completed the first phase of
the program, and currently about 400 participants are continuing
their training as part of the second phase.


The department head also noted that, in collaboration with the
Cisco Networking Academy, various opportunities for digital
technology training have been created for the public. Through these
programs, participants can choose a track that aligns with their
interests and needs. Areas of study include basic English language
skills for the IT sector, cybersecurity, and artificial
intelligence.


Gurbanova also spoke about an innovative project being
implemented in collaboration with partners working in the field of
artificial intelligence in Israel and the Holon Institute of
Technology. She noted that three phases of the project have taken
place, during which 98 graduates have been trained to date. Several
startup projects were formed during each phase.


She added that the rules for participating in IRIA projects vary
depending on the goals and requirements of specific programs. Some
training programs are open to anyone interested, while in other
cases, candidates are selected based on specific criteria.


“The selection process depends on the project. Anyone can join
some programs. However, participation in fields such as machine
learning and computer science requires certain foundational
knowledge and proficiency in English. When working with startup
projects, we take into account the participants’ ideas and their
potential for further project development,” she noted.