ICT career exhibition becomes key platform for Azerbaijan’s young tech talent

Enhancing young people’s knowledge and skills in information and communication technologies (ICT) has been identified as one of the key goals within Azerbaijan’s Digital Development Concept, the strategic framework guiding the country’s digital transformation. In this context, platforms such as the “ICT Career Exhibition” play an essential role in bringing together young talents, universities, and leading companies.

Rashad Khaligov, Deputy Chairman of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA), highlighted the importance of these initiatives in an interview with AZERTAC, Azernews reports.

According to him, more than 9,000 young people applied to participate in this year’s exhibition, reflecting the rapidly growing interest in ICT careers across the country. He noted that the main objective of the event is to build connections between students, universities, companies, and other institutions, while helping young people acquire the skills demanded by employers.

“As an agency, we implement a wide range of programs in various formats to strengthen the knowledge and skills of youth working in the ICT sector,” Khaligov said. “These programs include both short-term and long-term training models, and at the final stage, we apply additional support mechanisms to facilitate their employment.”

He added that similar career exhibitions will continue to be held regularly in the coming years.

“End-of-season exhibitions provide an opportunity for young specialists to present the skills they have gained in a real-world environment, while employers are able to get a clearer picture of potential talent,” he explained. “We are not an employer ourselves, but as an innovation-focused institution, we implement projects that help young people build professional ICT competencies. Our goal is to ensure they can find jobs in local and international companies and gain the expertise needed to create high-quality products and services.”

Khaligov emphasized that hundreds of young people have already secured jobs in various companies as a result of ongoing training and capacity-building programs, and this positive trend continues.