Meet Our Member: DigitalBee
As a cluster currently comprising 45 member companies, we continuously work on introducing our community to our members and the latest developments. From now on, you can expect the introduction of one of our members every week, accompanied by the projects they are currently working on. To kick things off, we’d like to introduce you to DigitalBee. DigitalBee was founded in 2019 with a clear mission – to develop competencies crucial for success in the digital age. What’s it all about? Digital skills, emotional intelligence, and creativity – these are the core components that DigitalBee nurtures through its unique proprietary program called “Beyond Coding.” However, this is not just another program; it’s a journey that inspires and shapes children and teenagers, providing them with tools and confidence to face the new challenges of the digital era. Shortly after its inception, DigitalBee was recognized as the premier place for developing the competencies needed for children’s success in the digital age. In 2021, this company became a licensed educational institution, injecting a breath of fresh air into Montenegro’s education system with its creative approach. Offering two adult education programs, “Database Basics” and “Digital Marketing“, DigitalBee is not merely following the trends of digital transformation but is becoming a key driver of those trends. In the following text, we will delve deeper into the journey that DigitalBee has undertaken and discover how they have contributed to the development of education in Montenegro. Transforming Children and Adults into Digital Creators Our interviewees and founders of DigitalBee, Valentina Radulović and Jasna Pejović, proudly state that what sets their company apart is a comprehensive approach to children’s education, which, in their words, is unique in the region: “Our ‘Beyond Coding’ programs are designed so that learning programming takes center stage, while carefully designed additional content exercises emotional intelligence and creative thinking competencies. These courses transform participants into creators in the digital world.” These educational programs are intended for children aged five to sixteen. According to our interviewees, the youngest participants enter the world of programming by developing algorithmic thinking without screens, using age-appropriate robots. On the other hand, older participants learn programming using languages like Scratch, Python, JavaScript, and App Inventor. What makes this program unique is that very serious skills are learned exclusively through play, making classes both interesting and useful experiences for children. Furthermore, DigitalBee offers courses for adults with the aim of improving their skills and acquiring new ones to help them find their career path in the new digital age: “Database Basics’ and ‘Digital Marketing’ programs are designed for adults who want to master competencies that will help them in their jobs, find additional or new engagements, or start and manage their businesses.” Out of over a thousand participants, successful students and innovators have emerged Regarding DigitalBee’s achievements, Jasna and Valentina attribute their greatest successes to the achievements of their participants: “So far, over 1000 children have gone through our ‘Beyond Coding’ programs. Most of them are now successful students and high school students, with a significant number of our participants winning awards in programming and robotics competitions. Many of our participants have told us that the competencies and skills they have acquired in our programs have helped them resolve conflicts with peers or better present their ideas. In our classrooms, friendships are formed that last beyond classes, which in itself represents a special kind of success. All of these are achievements that bring us joy and motivation to approach each new generation with the same dedication and introduce new programs and content. Knowledge empowers us and gives us freedom, and we are here to help our participants acquire important and current competencies.” Furthermore, they added that they are proud of the fact that participants in the adult programs use the acquired skills in their work environments, develop their businesses, or create additional sources of income using the knowledge they have gained. Become a Change Maker: Applications Are Open If you plan to join DigitalBee’s education programs and become part of a community that actively shapes the future in the digital world, now is the right time to apply for one of the open programs. For those interested in adult programs, note that they are held several times a year, allowing you to join when it suits you best. On the other hand, programs designed for children, known as “Beyond Coding,” start at the beginning of the school year – in September and February. This is an opportunity for the youngest to start their journey into the digital world in the right way and master digital technologies instead of the other way around. For all information about educational programs, we recommend visiting their website, where your first step towards the future in the digital world awaits you. Become a part of one of DigitalBee’s education programs and be ready to become a change-maker! Apply now. Author: Stefan Blecic
ICT Cortex and The Montenegrin Chamber of Commerce are organizing a meetup on the topic of innovation laws
ICT Cortex meetup Vol 8 will be organized on the 25th of May in hotel CUE at 18h, with the purpose to resolve doubts related to the legislative framework that encourages innovation activity: the Law on Innovation and the Law on Incentives for the Development of Research and Innovation. Incentives and measures arising from innovation legislative framework related to subjects of innovation activity: companies (regardless of the sector in which they operate), startups, spin-offs, researches institutions, centers of excellence, and higher education institutions that perform innovative activities, inventors, innovators, freelancers, and other natural persons, which together represent an important segment in the development of the innovation ecosystem of Montenegro and they are a generator of the Montenegrin economy development and society in general. In an organization with the Chamber of Commerce, the cluster aims to bring together all participants of the innovative ecosystem: representatives of public administration, the academic sector, businesses, corporations, SMEs, startups, and the ICT community, but also all stakeholders who want to get answers to the question how to achieve the benefits offered by the application of the mentioned laws: redirection of profit tax to innovative projects, exemption from paying part of the tax for startups and freelancers, exemption from the real estate tax, creation of spin-off companies, etc. The organizers of the meetup announce a quality and interesting discussion that aims to launch an “innovation wheel” that will be based on the application of these laws. The interested auditorium will have the opportunity to receive answers to questions from eminent experts in this field:
The “StepUp with Cortex” project of ICT Cortex and the Capital City of Podgorica improved the competitiveness of 12 small IT companies
ICT Cortex, in cooperation with the Capital city of Podgorica, realized the project “StepUp with Cortex”, which was supported by the Kingdom of Norway through the project “Norway for you – Montenegro”. The “StepUp with Cortex” project, which the ICT Cortex cluster implemented in cooperation with the Capital City of Podgorica, with the support of the Kingdom of Norway through the “Norway for you – Montenegro” project, in the period from March to November of this year, was aimed at improving and education of employees from 12 member companies, to improve competitiveness through the upgrading of institutional, administrative and organizational capacities and business skills of employees. The following companies participated in this project: Alicorn, Amplitudo, Archimede, Bild studio, Codepixel, Codeus, Data Design, DigitalBee, Fleka, Logate, Omnitech, and Oykos Development. The final event of the project was organized yesterday, which was attended by training participants, representatives of companies – project beneficiaries, trainers, and lecturers, as well as representatives of the Capital City and ICT Cortex. Chief Project Officer,, Ferida Mandić, emphasized the importance of this project. “The “StepUp with Cortex” project, in the period from March to November of this year, was aimed at the training and education of employees from 12 member companies, to improve competitiveness through upgrading the institutional, administrative, and organizational capacities and business skills of employees.” pointed out Mandić and added that the results of the training were very successful. “Five education programs were implemented, a total of 10 trainers were engaged; about 100 employees from 12 companies underwent training; employees from the ICT Cortex executive office also completed agile project management training; recommendations were made to improve the business environment for IT companies at the level of the Capital City.” Director of the Center for Information System of the Capital City, Džemal Lekić, pointed out that the administration of the Capital City is dedicated to the improvement of the sector of micro, small and medium enterprises, which is one of the key factors for accelerated economic development. “The ICT sector in the capital is recognized as one of the most important sectors for the future economic development of Podgorica because it supports all other sectors of the economy. In recent years, the administration of the Capital City has recognized digitization as one of the priorities in the development of Montenegrin society in terms of processes that can affect the improvement of the quality and standard of life of citizens. The goal is for ICT to become a strong sector of the economy that could become Montenegro’s leading export activity. Through the cooperation of the actors in the ICT community, there will be an increase in the number of employees, primarily professional staff, so the development and application of ICT are of crucial importance for economic development”, stressed Lekić. The project manager of the UNOPS office in Montenegro, Armen Čekić, pointed out that he was particularly glad that the ICT sector recognized the benefits of human resource development. “The development of human resources is the most important for the development of a company, and for the growth of the economy, which also entails the development of technology. So it should be continuously developed. I also hope that the others will follow this approach to their further development”, Čekić concluded. Trainer and NLP coach at NLP Network, Danka Ćetković, expressed her gratitude for the idea of such a project and emphasized that she is very proud of her students. “We hung out and worked together for three months, and at first it wasn’t easy, but over time we realized that the hidden goal was to connect, that we are not competing with each other, but supporting each other. The topics we covered were everyday ones that everyone needs. Especially in the IT sector, because the focus is on professional knowledge, and technological knowledge, to be the best programmers, and designers. That’s how it should be because the ICT industry is the bright spot of our economy. However, for it to be able to deliver everything that is expected, someone must also think about people. Who will develop all that, master it… Because it is an industry that changes very quickly, is very flexible, and prioritizes efficiency, short deadlines, and innovation. So we have to support people, work on their development, communication and negotiation skills, to overcome their fears, nervousness and the like”, described Ćetković. At the very end, participants were presented with certificates and certificates of completed training, where they shared their impressions from the training. A lot of interaction, group work, and exercises, as they said, facilitated the learning process and the acquisition of new skills and knowledge, and they recommend this type of education to people from different spheres because it is of great benefit to everyone. The cooperation of the Capital City and ICT Cortex on this project is another confirmation of joint action aimed at improving the overall business environment and creating an innovative ecosystem for IT companies at the level of the Capital City, where conditions are created for the development of innovative products and their placement on international markets.
High school students started a free internship within the Cortex Academy
Students of Montenegrin secondary vocational schools from Nikšić, Podgorica, Bijelo Polje, and Rožaje who actively attended training in the field of web and mobile application development as part of the Cortex Academy – an education program implemented by the cluster for information technology, innovation, education, design and technological development of Montenegro, have started a free internship in ICT Cortex member companies. As part of the practice, the students were divided into teams, within which nine students from Bijelo Polje and Podgorica, and four from Nikšić were assigned to the field of web application development, while eight students from Podgorica were active in the mobile application development segment. Namely, the students will cooperate with mentors from the companies Coinis, Fleka and Data Design until September, with the aim of improving their skills in the field of web application development, after which the final competition awaits them in September, where the best teams will be awarded. As part of the practical part of the training, participants who opted for the mobile application development segment began an internship at the company Amplitudo, and soon we are expecting the start of education at the honorary member of the ICT Cortex cluster – Crnogorski Telekom. The cooperation with secondary schools from four Montenegrin municipalities is an upgrade of last year’s successful cooperation with ETŠ “Vaso Aligrudić”, which aimed to improve the educational process, with a focus on practical teaching within the direction for the development of web and mobile applications. The participants had the opportunity to work on real projects for 7 weeks, and to create professional work habits through intensive cooperation with mentors from cluster members. We remind you that the Cortex Academy is an education program that includes courses in programming, project management, design, marketing, and software testing. In the previous months, the participants of the pieces of training in the member companies of the cluster, and through the materials available on the online platform, improved their knowledge of some of the most sought-after positions in the ICT market.
Job opportunity: Apply for the open position of PM for education!
The ICT Cortex cluster was founded with the idea of creating new business opportunities and contributing to the digital transformation of Montenegro through synergistic action, cooperation with our member companies, and presenting our country as an important destination for IT investments. Our executive office communicates daily with members of 35 member companies, as well as with representatives of public institutions, to create new values in the fields of technology, internationalization, talent development, and innovation. That is why we are always looking for great people who can bring new energy to our team, making us even better and more efficient! Who are we looking for? Project manager for education programs and Cortex Academy! Required qualifications and experience: College education (minimum Bachelor) Good knowledge of the English language Minimum of three years of work experience What do we expect from you? Experience and expertise in leadership, project management Effective planning and organization Willingness to take initiative Adaptability to challenging circumstances and risks Developed negotiation and communication skills Responsible, detailed, and dedicated attitude toward work Ability to effectively solve problems and make decisions Ability to prioritize Enthusiasm and creativity Team spirit, directness, and openness Stress tolerance and coping well under pressure Knowledge of project management software is desirable, but not necessary Knowledge of the innovation ecosystem and digital transformation process in Montenegro is desirable, but not necessary. What will your job be? Planning and implementation of project activities Monitoring and control of project activities Communication with all partners (schools, professors, companies, representatives of the public and private sectors) and project users (pupils, students, citizens), field visits PR activities and participation in panels and conferences Formation of the budget and its monitoring and control Planning and scheduling project deadlines Control and supervision of quality and procurement process Risk management and project control to reduce potential negative events Constant monitoring and reporting of project progress to all stakeholders, especially management Monitoring activities on the critical path to avoid project delays Taking corrective and preventive actions to get the project back on track Project quality assurance Responsibility for the successful implementation of the project Project evaluation and assessment of results Searching for donors and securing additional funds for projects We offer you: The opportunity to change society for the better, set standards and trends in the educational and academic sector of Montenegro An opportunity to meet all key stakeholders from the field of education, innovation, and IT sector in Montenegro, the region, and Europe This an exceptional opportunity to be the source of information, knowledge, contacts, and world trends The chance to constantly grow, develop and get out of your comfort zone Access to all courses and pieces of training by the most eminent local and global experts/organizations Daily contact and the opportunity to learn from professionals who have decades of experience in business, marketing, strategic planning, education, project management, IT An innovative work environment that includes the most successful Montenegrin IT companies and the most important partners of the innovation ecosystem The opportunity to visit the best technology festivals and the most developed innovative organizations in the world The opportunity to present your knowledge, experience, and results at various conferences and in public performances Financial conditions that are very stimulating for Montenegrin conditions Participation in the housing security program allows you to save at least 30% of the investment for the apartment Working on the latest equipment (MacBook, iPad, iPhone) A dynamic, dedicated, and innovative team – our employees say that one month of work at ICT Cortex is like 5 months of work elsewhere At Cortex, we do not waste paper, but use numerous modern tools for functioning every day, among others: Slack, Google Meet, JIRA, Confluence, Google Sheets/Doc/Forms. Use the opportunity to become part of the team and contribute innovative ideas to the development of the ICT Cortex cluster, but also the wider community! Send CV to contact@ictcortex.me Deadline for applications 01.07.2022. We are waiting for you!
ICT Cortex signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports
Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Prof. Ph.D. Vesna Bratić and the Chief project officer in the ICT Cortex, Ferida Mandić, signed a Memorandum of Understanding today on the premises of the Ministry. On this occasion, Minister Bratić announced that the Strategy for Digitization of the Education System envisages the establishment of cooperation with the economy in order to promote IT occupations, order to encourage students to choose occupations that are promising, which are the needs of the labor market, and which are currently in short supply, as well as cooperation on the development and improvement of the digital competence of students and teachers. “The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports and the cluster of IT companies, ICT Cortex, defines cooperation in these fields. More precisely, this memorandum defines cooperation with secondary vocational schools in which the educational program Electrical Technician for the development of mobile and web applications or other educational programs in the field of IT is implemented; cooperation with secondary vocational schools in the form of organization of practical classes at the employer for students and training at the employer for teachers; cooperation with schools dealing with general secondary education in the field of student and teacher education; organization of competitions in the field of information and communication technologies in cooperation with competent institutions, the Center for Vocational Education and the Examination Center; promotion of qualifications, typical occupations and career opportunities in the field of IT among elementary and high school students; raising awareness of the needs and possibilities of education in the field of IT; creation of self-guided programming courses for the “Digital School”; creation of programs in the field of IT for professional training of teachers, as well as cooperation during the celebration of the International Day of Safe Internet and the International Day of Girls in IT”, Minister Bratić explained. The director of projects in the ICT Cortex cluster, Ferida Mandić, stated that the Cortex Academy is currently the most important project of the ICT Cortex cluster and that it represents the largest ICT education program in Montenegro. She pointed out that the courses are intended for different categories of participants, with an emphasis on young people, students, and high school students, and that for the first cycle of the Cortex Academy, as many as 1,292 applications were received, while the training started in February. “What makes us very happy is that there was great interest from high school students, especially from 6 municipalities: Bijelo Polje, Berane, Nikšić, Pljevlja, Rožaje, and Podgorica. We have 300 students from 10 schools who are now attending courses to acquire theoretical knowledge, and then they will do internships in one of the 13 member companies of ICT Cortex. That is why we are extremely glad to have signed this agreement with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, through which we will jointly implement activities within the Cortex Academy project, but also on all other projects in the field of education, over the next five years, all with the aim of that educational programs follow the needs of the labor market”, said Mandić.
ICT Cortex is a true example of synergy
Podgorica, PR press service – ICT Cortex is a real example of synergy and shows that it is a strong sector, which is moving on an upward trajectory and which is well worth investing in, it was announced at the ceremony marking the first year of operation of that cluster. The president of the cluster assembly, Nenad Novović, said that a lot had been achieved in a very short time. “The professional association of companies in Montenegro is not that common, but in this case, I think it turned out very naturally,” said Novović. He presented the honorary accession to the cluster to the representative of the Ministry of Economic Development, Marijeta Barjaktarović Lanzardi. The President of the Management Board of the cluster, Sanja Gardašević, said that more than a year ago, the pieces of what is today ICT Cortex began to fall into place and that work is being done to achieve the six goals that 11 companies gathered a year ago. “First of all, we wanted to establish a professional inclusive organization, to implement education programs for both new and existing staff and to find a way to keep the existing staff, to work on the internationalization and strengthening of the potential of our products, to strengthen the innovation and competitiveness of the cluster members themselves, to influence the digital transformation of society and to implement programs of socially responsible business”, said Gardašević. “We signed a memorandum on cooperation with the Central Bank of Montenegro, we also achieved cooperation with the Capital of Montenegro, we connected with numerous organizations, universities, schools and business associations,” Gardašević pointed out. She also stated that an internship was conducted for high school students with the Vaso Aligrudić School of Electrical Engineering, and training was also organized for employed members of the association. “The crown of our work in the field of education is the Cortex Academy, which managed to unite all the education programs of the cluster members and provide an additional online form of education in five areas. We are extremely glad that we had 1,292 applications, which speaks of the great need for a program of this type and the great impact we can achieve through projects like this,” explained Gardašević. ICT Cortex today, as she said, has 29 members, and they have over 600 employees. “We estimate that the export of member companies participates in about 18 percent of the total export of goods of Montenegro for the year 2021. It is a strong sector, which moves on an upward trajectory. Total revenues have almost doubled over two years. We see that profits have increased, that exports have almost tripled, and that the number of employees is constantly growing, which all shows that this sector is very much worth investing in,” Garadšević pointed out. The executive director of the cluster, Tarik Zaimović, said that he is particularly proud because ICT Cortex is a true example of synergy. “We managed to connect directors and owners of companies very well. What we did not succeed in, and what was not even possible for the year, was to connect the people who carry the work. That is our plan for this year. We intend to open three committees, namely the Committee for Human Resources and Education, the Committee for Internationalization and Sales, and the Committee for the Empowerment of Women in IT,” said Zaimović. One of the capital projects, as he added, is a project to provide housing for 120 IT families, and the intention is to retain the best IT staff with this program, to provide them with savings of up to 45 percent for solving the housing issue, buying an apartment. “Also, we received a serious grant for half a million euros, which was earmarked for equipment at the Vaso Aligrudić School. We intend to do the second phase of infrastructural equipping of schools and we will decide that for Nikšić and Bijelo Polje. For this year, we intend to educate 300 high school students. We do that in six municipalities. At the same time, we train 15 professors and educate an additional 250 participants, who are young people and students, who are trained in member companies. The goal is to have 80 junior staff produced, of whom we will most likely hire,” said Zaimović. The plan, as he announced, is to visit Eastern, and Western Europe, and America in the coming period, all to find new jobs, and partners, open representative offices in Montenegro and increase exports. “This year, we intend to apply for a large tender and unite a large force of the best companies in Montenegro. Together with the Central Bank of Montenegro, we plan to organize the second Fintech conference and Hackathon. We are making plans with the Central Bank of Montenegro so that this year the Hackathon will be on an even bigger, regional level, and there will be a significantly larger fund for the best team and idea for the development of Fintech”, said Zaimović. The director of the Foundation “Čini dobro”, Aleksandra Bošković, said that “Čini dobro”, a non-profit association founded by ICT Cortex, aims to empower young people, invest in education, help with healthy innovative ideas and contribute to the digitization of society. “I am proud that throughout last year and 2020, we focused our work on the local community and on the segments of society that needed it the most. In the coming period, the Foundation will be mostly focused on education and will provide support to ICT Cortex in all the projects it will lead,” said Bošković. As she stated, the target groups are talented pupils and students, employees of the Foundation’s members, educational institutions, and organizations. “In the previous year and a half, we donated over 80 thousand euros, launched the website cinidobro.me, and increased the membership by three new members. We helped socially disadvantaged families and donated over 50 thousand euros. We reached almost 200 families, and we helped in the distribution of school equipment, textbooks, clothes,
An additional 200 thousand euros to support the development of the IT industry
The Ministry of Economic Development provided additional funds of 200,000 euros to support the ICT Cortex cluster for the segment of internationalization, implementation of educational programs, and mentoring services that will help the sustainability of the cluster. We remind you that at the end of last year, the Agreement on co-financing of the three-year ICT cluster program worth more than a million euros was signed, in which MER and IT companies, members of the Cortex ICT cluster, participate with equal amounts for implementation. This new cycle of support refers precisely to these segments, which represent complementary activities to the current contract. “And this support will contribute to strengthening the IT sector and creating conditions for the IT sector to become the backbone of the future development of Montenegro and a strong sector that will create leading export products,” said Milatović. “In addition, it will additionally strengthen the global connection of clusters, program activities to strengthen educational programs important for the improvement of digital skills, but also empower the cluster team to think long-term in the direction of self-sustainability,” the minister added. The executive director of ICT Cortex, Tarik Zaimović, expressed his gratitude for the support that the Ministry of Economic Development continuously provides to the ICT Cortex sector and the entire IT industry. “These additional funds will significantly help us to speed up work on all our capital projects, the goal of which is the professional training of young people, students, high school students, and professors,” he pointed out and added that “internationalization will help connect Montenegrin stakeholders and IT companies, which are key for an innovation ecosystem with international partners, organizations and IT companies through which we will upgrade our knowledge and bring new projects and partners to Montenegro”. ICT Cortex also sent an invitation to the Ministry to become a Friend of the Association, which was accepted with satisfaction, emphasizing that in this way stronger cooperation and partnership between the Ministry and the cluster will be achieved and that the Ministry will have the opportunity to get to know the implementation of the cluster’s activities directly. In the past period, the Ministry of Economic Development further strengthened the program direction of the implementation of the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3) through the adoption of the Operational Program for the period 2021-2024, which achieved a synergistic effect with the cluster policy, focusing on a set of new activities that effectively connect this policy with S3. In this sense, the special focus is on strengthening the activities of ICT clusters, intending to increase the productivity and competitiveness of domestic companies and entrepreneurs by connecting them into clusters, as well as strengthening the cooperation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs with scientific research organizations.
Applications for Cortex academy are closed!
At exactly midnight, applications for the largest education program in the field of ICT in Montenegro were closed, with a total number of applications – 1,292. The Cortex Academy combined all the education programs of the members of the ICT Cortex cluster, and at the same time provided an additional, online form of education in five areas: programming, project management, software testing, marketing, and design. Considering a large number of applications and the different motives of Cortex Academy participants, in the next step the following groups will be distinguished: Participants of the Cortex Academy in ICT Cortex member companies Educators: Alicorn, Amplitudo, Bild studio, Coinis, Codeus, Codepixel, Data Design, Digital Bee, Logate Academy, Oykos, Omnitech, Optimus Smart Academy, Sky Sat In January, this group of participants is expected to have interviews and/or a selection task at the company that conducts the course in question. The start of education is planned for February 2022. Participants of online courses SEEKING EMPLOYMENT in the field of programming (students and seniors) This group refers to candidates seeking employment in the field of programming. After completing the online training and the selection project, which is necessary to do, candidates have the possibility of employment in companies that are members of ICT Cortex. The deadline for listening to the online course is from January to May. The first condition is to successfully meet the conditions imposed by the course itself. At the end of the course listening period, in May, these candidates will receive a practical task, the successful completion of which will be the ticket to work in companies. Participants of online courses WITHOUT SEARCHING FOR EMPLOYMENT in the field of programming (students and seniors) This group refers to participants who applied for courses in the field of programming to retrain or upgrade, without looking for employment in the field of programming. The group also applies to participants who have applied for courses in other fields: project management, design, software testing and marketing, regardless of whether they are looking for employment in those fields or not. These participants are expected to conscientiously use the opportunity for additional education and fulfill the conditions required by the courses themselves. No additional tasks by ICT Cortex. High school students applying for the Cortex internship: Let’s do IT! For these candidates, the primary online course is the Complete PHP From Scratch Course for Beginners, which is taken from January to March, followed by the first elimination test (March 2022). From March to May, candidates take the next course Object Oriented PHP and MVC, followed by the second elimination test (May 2022). If both tests are passed successfully, the candidates are followed by an eight-week internship in ICT Cortex companies. High school students who take courses for their improvement, without applying for Cortex practice These participants are expected to conscientiously use the opportunity for additional education and fulfill the conditions required by the courses themselves. No additional tasks by ICT Cortex. All registered candidates will receive detailed instructions and information on further steps via e-mail notification. Great support in the realization of this project was given by Help Montenegro (through the Reeconomy project), Crnogorski Telekom, and Cortex Fondacija, which are the initiators of the online courses. Certainly, the greatest gratitude goes to the members of ICT Cortex, the educators who opened their doors to all future members of the ICT community, eager to acquire new knowledge! Alicorn, AmplitudO, Bild studio, Coinis, Codeus, Codepixel, Data Design, Digitalnam Academy, Logate, Oykos Development, Ominitech, Optimus Smart Academy, SkySat For support in the realization and successful promotion of the Cortex Academy, ICT Cortex is also very grateful to other partners: the universities of Montenegro, Donja Gorica, Mediteran, the secondary vocational school in Podgorica, secondary vocational schools and gymnasiums in Berane, Bijelo Polje, Nikšić and Pljevlja, as well as and representatives of the Capital City of Podgorica and the municipalities of Berane, Bijelo Polje, Nikšić and Pljevlja, and our honorary member IPC Tehnopolis.
Non-refundable funds for the reconstruction and equipping of High School “Vaso Aligrudić”
The Regional Challenge Fund support program is aimed at strengthening the relevance of professional education and training on the labor market by financing investments in equipment and infrastructure for training providers who are involved in cooperative or dual education and training activities with partner companies. The fund was created at the initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, delegated to the KfW Development Bank, and is implemented by the Chamber Investment Forum of the Western Balkans as the main implementation partner, which represents a joint initiative of the Chambers of Commerce of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Out of a total of 205 registered projects from six countries of the Western Balkans at the first call of this fund, 23 of the most successful were proposed for financing, of which only one consortium from Montenegro was successful and received the support of the fund for implementation. It is a project of the Job booster – VET4all consortium, which consists of ETŠ “Vaso Aligrudić”, as a leading partner, IT companies, members of the ICT Cortex cluster (Bild studio, Amplitudo, Data design, Alicorn) as well as the company Mountaineering. “It was with great pleasure that we received the news about the acceptance of our project! The implementation of this project involves the complete reconstruction of the existing classrooms of our school as part of the common rooms with the mechanical school, the acquisition of new laboratory equipment as well as the equipment necessary for the implementation of practical classes in the educational programs Electronic Communication Infrastructure Installer, Electronic Communications Electrical Technician and Web and Mobile Application Development Electrical Technician. In addition to this, a very important segment of the project implementation is the cooperation with the members of our consortium, which includes the implementation of practical classes at the employer for a total of 86 students, as well as the implementation of the necessary training for our teaching staff, as well as instructors, mentors from the company.” – announced Marina Braletić, project coordinator on behalf of ETŠ “Vaso Aligrudić” For the representatives of ICT cluster Cortex, who participated in writing this project, this is a significant success and a confirmation that they are moving towards the achievement of one of the main goals – the improvement of the Montenegrin educational system in the field of ICT. “We believe that with the project we have fully responded to the goal of the call, which is to improve the employability of young people, strengthen the quality of professional education and provide relevant training. With this project, as well as the umbrella education program within the Cortex Academy, we continue to “plant the seeds for a better IT future” and achieve one of the main goals of the Cortex ICT cluster” – added Ferida Mandić, director of the project department of the ICT Cortex cluster, whose members are IT consortium partner companies. Reconstruction of classrooms, equipping them with state-of-the-art equipment, will be accompanied by the improvement of the teaching program through the introduction of mandatory practical classes in the companies that are members of the consortium. In addition to students, a large number of teaching staff will be involved, which will affect the quality of teaching even after three years of the project. RCF supports the establishment of consortia between vocational education and training institutions and companies for the implementation of cooperative education and training programs through the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding. To be acceptable, project partners must be ready to engage in joint training activities to train participants based on qualification standards and/or occupational standards that correspond to labor market demand. The financial support that will be provided by the RCF for the implementation of this project is half a million euros, and the start of the implementation of the project will be in 2022. It is important to note that all funds will be directed to the modernization and equipping of the school, while the members of the consortium will provide mentoring for students, to help students acquire skills aligned with the needs of the labor marke
