IT Education in Ukraine
IT technologies in Ukraine started developing not so long ago compared with the other Western European countries. Lots of software development outsourcing customers from the USA and Europe got attracted to Ukraine mostly by affordable IT workforce resources and their excellent technical education. Actually, the success of IT outsourcing development strongly depends on the availability of talented and well-educated software development specialists. In 2011 the number of IT specialists employed in the IT industry reached around 25,000 professionals in diverse software development areas, and this figure is likely to grow over the next years.
High level of technical education provides promising future to the IT industry
Ukraine has a long-standing reputation for its specialists’ deep technical education and well-developed scientific base. Traditionally high-level technical education ensures that the software outsourcing industry obtains a qualified IT workforce. Ukraine has over 800 universities and institutes annually producing over 650,000 professionals specializing in diverse areas. There are over 100 institutions in Ukraine providing IT education with approximately 30,000 students graduating each year. Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Donetsk, and Luhansk are the major IT education centers replenishing the extensive Ukrainian IT talent pool.
Moreover, the majority of IT-specialized higher education institutions participate in the Bologna process striving to comply with the European educational demands. Ukraine occupies fourth place in the world for the quantity of certified IT specialists after the USA, India, and Russia.
Top 5 institutions delivering superb IT education according to 2012 rating:
- National Technical University of Ukraine ‘Kyiv Polytechnic Institute’
- Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University
- National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy & Kyiv National Economic Vadym Hetman University
- Lviv Polytechnic National University
- Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture
Areas Ukraine provides IT education for
The Ukrainian education system provides highly qualified professionals in the following areas:
- cybernetics and system sciences, including such specialties – computer sciences, applied maths, informatics, system analysis, etc.
- computer engineering and informatics (software/hardware engineering)
- control automation (computer integrated technologies, automation and system engineering).
Superb IT education attracts foreign outsourcing customers
The deep technical knowledge and skills Ukrainian IT graduates possess combined with relatively low labor costs are one of the primary reasons why large USA and European customers outsource to Ukraine. The majority of students start their professional careers during their studies, obtaining practical experience as freelancers or full- and part-time employees in large IT companies.
Moreover, IT education in Ukraine obtains strong governmental support. A decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine aimed at improving the quality of IT professionals’ skills and enhancing cooperation between business and education was issued in 2010. According to this document, higher and secondary educational systems will be sufficiently improved. Special attention was paid to the placement of IT graduates according to the order from the government to bring it in line with labor market needs.
Abto Software closely cooperates with the top IT educational institutions employing some brilliant lecturers from Lviv Polytechnic National University and Lviv Ivan Franko National University. The company also supports diverse students’ initiatives aimed at improving their professional level including sponsoring IT contests and conferences, etc.
