Young Moldovan and Ukrainian Information and Communications Technology specialists train and work in Slovakia

DIGI TALENTS Moldova offers 50 Moldovan graduates and students of ICT-related fields a 12-month job or a 3-month internship in leading ICT companies in Slovakia. DIGI TALENTS Ukraine offers 30 Ukrainian female ICT professionals a 12-month job.  

The ICT sector has a strong presence in the Slovak economy, with both foreign-owned companies and rapidly growing domestic companies. However, the EU job market is facing a severe shortage of ICT specialists. As a result, several leading ICT companies in Slovakia have already become partners of the programme, with many more on the way. 

Objectives of the program 

The program pursues a triple win: 

• allowing Moldovan and Ukrainian participants to get new skills in a stimulating work environment;  

• addressing Slovakia’s skilled labour shortage; 

• transferring knowledge and expertise to the Moldovan and Ukrainian ICT sectors. 

In addition, DIGI Talents for Ukraine is open to female candidates only thus addressing the gender gap in ICT professions in the Union. 

Training, mobility, reintegration, capacity building   

Participants receive professional training at all stages: before, during and after their stay in Slovakia. After the working period ends, participants can continue with their job in Slovakia in agreement with the employer or receive help with re-entry into the Moldovan labour market. Selected candidates will receive financial and practical support in setting up their own business or a start-up.  

The project will support the establishment of a public-private partnership between national institutions, universities, NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), and private companies in Moldova and Slovakia. This will promote the replication and sustainability of the mobility programme.  DIGI TALENTS was also presented during the European Skills Festival on 9 May 2023. 

Background 

DIGI TALENTS is funded by the European Union through the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and implemented by the Development and Mobility Agency (EMA) in collaboration with the National Coalition for Digital Skills and Jobs of the Slovak Republic (Digital Coalition) and the Moldovan Association of Information and Communications Technology Companies (ATIC). The project contributes to the goals of the EU Agenda on Migration by establishing a well-managed labour mobility programme for young students or graduates that benefits all participating countries – Moldova, Ukraine and Slovakia.