How the Kids2IT Career Guidance Game for Schoolchildren with the Participation of Sigma Software CEO Went
IT ClusterWinter holidays are not just about rest, but also about growth and self-discovery. Thanks to the unique career guidance game Kids2IT by Kharkiv IT Cluster, on January 9, 19 talented schoolchildren took several a few steps closer to a successful IT career!
Kharkiv IT Cluster, together with Sigma Software&Star for Life Ukraine, and with the support of the Department of Education and the Department of Digital Transformation of the Kharkiv City Council, held a career guidance event for students of Kharkiv Lyceum No. 119.
The event took place in the first underground school built in Kharkiv, which for half a year has been hosting a thousand children, offering them the unique opportunity in these times not only to learn science but also to meet their teachers and friends in person.
Important Connections in the Lives of Each Student
Leading representatives of the Kharkiv IT industry joined the meeting with the students: Valery Krasovsky, CEO and Co-founder of the IT service company Sigma Software, Board Member of Star for Life Ukraine, and Olga Shapoval, Executive Director of Kharkiv IT Cluster.
Other invited speakers included Anatolii Klepach, CEO of UA Tech Network, and Dmytro Bolharov and Yulia Polyakova, Senior Software Developer and HR People Partner at Sigma Software.
The students had the opportunity to ask questions about how to start their path in IT, how a modern IT company works, what professions and opportunities exist within it, and also to see the prospects of the IT industry.
Real career stories from the speakers, useful advice, and support left an unforgettable impression on the children. Discussions on the importance of education and self-development with representatives of the IT industry, the Director of the Department of Digital Transformation of the Kharkiv City Council — Halyna Lytvynets, the Director of the Department of Education of the Kharkiv City Council — Olga Demenko, and the Head of the Education Department of the Industrial District Administration of the Kharkiv City Council — Olena Zbytska, inspired the students with ideas for startups that they could develop in the second part of the event.
Young IT Specialists’ Startups: A Volunteer App and a Super-Powered Processor
IT is not only about programming or testing. The modern industry offers many non-technical roles, such as project managers, marketers, designers, HR specialists, and others. Thanks to the Kids2IT career orientation game, every student could find their place in this field, unleash their potential, and contribute to the development of innovations.
IT specialists from Sigma Software, Dmytro Bolharov and Yuliia Poliakova, joined the Kids2IT career guidance game with the students. Together with the game mentors, educational coordinators of Kharkiv IT Cluster, they guided the schoolchildren into the IT world.
The students not only learned about the various professions in IT but also delved deeper into how IT products are developed and tried on the role of IT specialists in a team with experienced professionals. While working on startup ideas, the mentors explained how real IT companies operate and what aspects deserve special attention.
As a result of their productive work, two teams of participants, with the help of mentors, developed and validated their own innovative ideas, including a solution to organize volunteer work and the design of a superpowered processor with a frequency of 7 GHz. The participants received detailed feedback, gained a better understanding of product development mechanisms, and learned the principles on which teamwork is built.
At the end of the game, the participants received gifts from Sigma Software and Star for Life Ukraine, as well as sweets from the charitable fund of Kharkiv IT Cluster —IT4Life.
We continue to create events that inspire youth to dream, learn, act, and reach new achievements!
Kharkiv IT Cluster thanks Sigma Software, Star for Life Ukraine, the Department of Education, and the Department of Digital Transformation for the opportunity to create great projects together!
Background Information
Sigma Software is a global, multinational company that has been developing excellent IT solutions and providing full-cycle IT consulting services to clients worldwide for over 20 years — from Australia to the west coast of the USA. Today, Sigma Software is an entire ecosystem that includes its own business incubator, educational platform, business association of companies, product line, and patented innovative solutions. The large Sigma Software team operates from 20 countries. The company is a member of the Kharkiv IT Cluster and more than 20 specialized associations and unions, and is the general partner of Star for Life Ukraine.