The Europe 2020 strategy recognizes the IT sector as one of the fastest growing sectors with the largest workforce shortage. The European Commission estimated that there will be a shortage of 900,000 IT professionals in the European Union by 2020, and launched an initiative to attract the unemployed to IT education, the Great Coalition for Jobs in the Digital Sector, with the aim of meeting the needs of the market. The initiative highlights the need for programming skills for the jobs of the future and emphasizes the need to create new training programs, offer jobs and internships, and promote programming. The Government of the Republic of Croatia has included the digital industry among Croatian strategic industrial activities, drivers of industrial production that have the greatest capacity for growth, development and employment. However, the number of trained IT experts in Primorje-Gorski Kotar county, as well as in the rest of Croatia and Europe, does not meet the needs of the market, which leads to a decrease in the economic activity of existing business entities in the IT sector.

Recognizing the challenges, but also the potential, together with our partners we submitted the Bootcamp IT project to the public call of the Local Initiatives to Encourage Employment-Phase III, Component 1 (UP.01.3.1.01) from the European Social Fund, Operational Program Effective Human Potential 2014 – 2020. The decision of the Ministry of Labor and the Pension System dated May 4, 2018 established that HRK 963,135.36 was allocated to the project, with 100% co-financing from the European Union. Thus, on May 17, 2018, the Grant Agreement (UO.01.3.1.01.0101) was signed and the implementation of the project began, which will last until November 17, 2019.

The goal of the project is to develop and implement a rapid training program for Junior Developers based on the needs of IT employers in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, after which at least 40% of users will be employed.

Over the course of 18 months, 84 unemployed and long-term unemployed people will go through the process of professional guidance and counseling for employment, of which 42 will be selected for education for a deficit profession in the IT sector. This will determine the reasons for their unemployment and their predispositions to work in the IT sector. Those for whom the potential for work in the IT sector gets determined will participate in an intensive training for Junior Developers, which includes education in IT and entrepreneurship, mentoring work with IT companies, creation of IT solutions in a team, and presentation of solutions to representatives of the IT sector involved to the project.

Upon exiting the training process, participants will be trained for further professionalization in the real sector and get connected with potential employers, while employers will gain insight into the available trained workforce and their abilities and affinities.

In addition to the unemployed, we will include 20 employers from the IT sector in the project – they will participate in the needs analysis for IT experts and training, with a special emphasis on the process of mentoring the participants.

Bootcamp IT project will enable the cooperation of target groups, practical work for the unemployed, and the opportunity for employers to see the abilities of potential employees. This ensures the satisfaction of the needs of the propulsive sector and consequently increases its economic potency.

In addition to the above, through the project we will develop the Start IT portal, where it will be possible to present IT companies and their employment needs. It will serve to connect employers with potential employees.

For all those who want to use the work methodology that we will develop in the project, we will create a Manual with a description of the methodology of market analysis, monitoring of the unemployed and training.

If you want to find out more information about the project, feel free to contact Asja Kirinčić, the project manager, at akirincic@ctk-rijeka.hr

The Bootcamp IT project is implemented by: Center of Technical Culture Rijeka (user), City of Rijeka, Croatian Employment Service – Rijeka Regional Office, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and Step Ri Science and Technology Park of the University of Rijeka.