Description
The Moldovan Government has identified the ICT sector as a priority sector for the economic development of the country. The main challenge is that the sector is facing, is lack of skilled workforce, which is compounded by massive brain drain from Moldova. Against this background, the Moldovan ICT sector needs to use the opportunity to attract more women into ICT careers, as their representation in the sector is still low. In light of this, the project will support the GirlsGoIT programme, which has since 2015 been encouraging girls and young women to choose IT and STEM education, thus enhancing their career prospects and their position in society. The project will provide digital skills training to 200 girls aged 14 to 20 from 10 Moldovan regions; 60 girls will attend an intensive summer camp and 15 will take part in professional internships in companies. GirlsGoIT will also be supported by the creation of a new IT lab at the Faculty of Computers, Informatics and Microelectronics of the Moldovan Technical University (FCIM TUM), which will host future training activities of the programme. The lab will also be home to a new Cyber Security Academy, which will be created in cooperation with the leading Slovak company ESET. The ESET Research and Development Centre in Iasi, Romania, in cooperation with FCIM TUM, will create a specialized cybersecurity curriculum and will pilot a cybersecurity course to 10 FCIM TUM students under the auspices of the ESET Cyber Security Academy. Consequently, the project will explore the possibilities of creating a cyber security incubator and prepare a proposal for its implementation.