Algebra awards IT scholarships for women worth as much as 300,000 euros

In light of the increasing domestic and global demand for IT specialist profiles, which are chronically lacking in Croatia, Algebra, in collaboration with INCO and with the support of Google.org, is awarding scholarships worth as much as 300,000 euros for education. The beneficiaries of this scholarship can only be women who wish to upgrade their skills in the field of IT and thus step into the world of digital professions.

The prerequisites for application are proficiency in English and basic digital literacy, and the education is intended for numerous women in disadvantaged positions – those living in smaller or rural areas, women with disabilities, unemployed women, women from sectors affected by COVID, and final-year female students. A prerequisite for education is successfully completed testing, for which, due to a limited number of places, it is necessary to apply as soon as possible.

– Algebra is the only official partner of the ‘INCO Work in Tech’ program in Croatia, and we take pride in that, entering the new season with great optimism. To women who are contemplating whether now is the right time for education, I must say – now is the time to upgrade IT skills, especially considering the demographic trends that are increasingly unfavorable in Croatia and the chronic labor shortage in that area. So far, we have certified 235 participants within the program, whom we believe will be a valuable addition to the IT sector. In addition to the acquired certificate, our participants, with the support of Algebra’s instructors, have the opportunity to work on strengthening their self-confidence, which is an important prerequisite for further career development – said Sara Šušak, project manager at Algebra.

The education is conducted within the ‘Work in Tech’ program, and upon completion, women will obtain the title and certificate of IT Support Specialist, which covers areas of user support, system administration, network infrastructure, and IT security. This is a global program in the field of IT certification, currently utilized by more than 77 million people to master new skills.

The purpose of the project is to achieve greater inclusion of women in the rapidly growing IT industry, which continues to struggle with a significant labor shortage. Interestingly, according to Degordian, among all industries, IT sector professionals are the most satisfied with their jobs. Moreover, women are slightly more satisfied than men, which is an exception compared to most other industries.

Span has also recognized the potential of this education, as part of the participants in the INCO Work in Tech program have so far completed internships at Span, and some of them have been employed there after their internships.

– By reviewing the ‘Work in Tech’ program, we recognized a great compatibility of the areas and technologies covered by the program with the knowledge and skills needed for junior positions in Span’s technical teams, related to system administration, networking, server IT infrastructure, IT security, and providing user support in resolving incidents and requests.” – stated Vlasta Carević, HR Operations Team Leader at Span.

The planned start of education is April 29, 2023., and upon completion of the education, some of the best participants will have the opportunity to participate in a two-week internship, where they will have the chance to solve real user problems in Windows and Linux environments.