Azerbaijan Railways will create an IT Academy as part of railway sector digitalization

CJSC "Azerbaijan Railways" (ADY) plans to establish an IT academy.

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), this is mentioned in the expected outcomes of recently provided technical assistance to Azerbaijan.

As part of this initiative, there are plans to create a platform called "Corporate University," which will be managed by ADY's IT academy. This platform will serve as a knowledge-sharing tool: employees will be able to document and share information obtained from training sessions, conferences, and seminars.

Overall, the technical assistance aligns with the strategic goal of ensuring economic sustainability in railway transport development in Azerbaijan.

The key outcome of the project will be capacity and skills development for railway sector digitalization. It also envisions improving digital competencies of ADY employees, creating a sustainable system for staff training and retraining to work in digital transformation conditions, and reducing the gender gap in the IT sector.

In this regard, a needs assessment will be conducted for several ADY departments and functional units, taking into account the gender approach. The analysis will cover both IT competencies and other professional skills, as well as determine the company's future needs in digital technologies.

Additionally, pilot programs for developing digital skills will be designed and implemented with gender considerations. These include a continuous internship model (mentoring program for ADY interns) and intensive training courses for new IT department employees.

Study visits for ADY employees are planned to Austria, the Republic of Korea, Spain, and Switzerland. International experts from foreign railway companies will also be invited to conduct training in Azerbaijan and participate in CJSC events and state forums on digitalization and transport sector development.

The acquired knowledge will be systematized and distributed through the "Corporate University" platform.

It is noted that ADY is undergoing digital transformation, and in 2024 alone, 1 million manats were allocated for human capital development. As part of the transformation, a personnel capacity building program has been developed, which includes creating an internal staff development system, cooperation with educational institutions, and international partnerships.

Recall that earlier, ADB approved technical assistance worth 500 thousand dollars to the government of Azerbaijan for developing digital skills in the railway sector.