The hero of this story is  Narek Aghbalyan, who has completed the PHP/Laravel training, organized jointly by Enterprise Incubator Foundation and the private company OmniCode in the frames of Armenia Workforce Development Activity. 

20-year-old Narek completed the army service in April 2022.

“My interests were always related to e computer and IT. I learned about the course at VTC from the center’s Facebook page, and this is actually my second time applying,” said Narek. He successfully passed the interview the previous time as well but was unable to attend. “Now, I have already completed the course and I was offered a paid internship at OmniCode,” added he.

According to Narek, he was very motivated from the start. “I want to be a good specialist, and I want to be good at what I love to do, which is programming,” explained Narek. He sees his future particularly in web programming, although he does not yet plan for a specific place to work. “For me, it’s important to reach a certain level of professional competence in three years. I don’t think about what company or which city I will work for,” added Narek.

Elen Mashakaryan: “There are opportunities, and we should take advantage of them”

Vanadzor is Narek’s hometown, so unless there is an unforeseen situation, he considers a move unlikely. “ I would prefer staying in Vanadzor,” he said.

Like other participants of the VTC courses, enrolled in the framework of the Project, Narek would like to contribute to helping other young people of Vanadzor make their career choices.

“Once people learn that I’m enrolled in the VTC-delivered course they start asking questions about possibilities and opportunities to join, the variety of courses and how to apply. There are people younger or older than me, who have not made decisions about their future profession. They know that the IT sector is developing quickly, so they are interested in technological and technical knowledge and career opportunities. I always answer their questions and try to help out, I watch out for new courses to spread the word about those,” said Narek.

Regarding the skills which he gained from the course, Narek highlighted the mission of the Activity. According to him, the training of specialists is exactly what attracted his attention. “To find a good job, to be competitive in the labor market is very important. It was my incentive to study well,” said Narek. “My advice is to keep developing your abilities and skills, keep pace with the modern world,” added Narek.

Narine Aleksanyan: It’s important to have opportunities and be able to contribute to the development of your hometown”

Armenia Workforce Development Activity is a five-year program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF) and consortium partners, including the Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU) Foundation, Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), and Civitta Armenia.

Throughout its lifetime, Armenia Workforce Development Activity will provide 10,000 young people, with a particular focus on women and people with disabilities with the opportunities of getting their skills in line with the labor market needs, so that they become more competitive and succeed in better employment. The project will work closely with educational institutions such as vocational, training, higher education institutions, and private sector companies to identify needs and assist in training.