Baku, Finance Time. Bakcell the First Mobile Operator and Leading Mobile Internet Provider in Azerbaijan has launched a new project together with “SOS Children’s Villages – Azerbaijan” Association.

The main goal of this new “ICT Academy” project is to increase the employment opportunities for teenagers, living under the patronage of the Association, after they leave the children’s villages. Courses on computer literacy, accounting, job interview skills, CV composition and mobile communications are organized in the academy.

Along with teenagers from children’s villages of Baku and Ganja, and those who live at the SOS Youth house, children facing the risk of staying without the parental care are also participating in this project.

Children and teenagers who master these skills are highly demanded on the labor market and closely related to the modern technologies. Bakcell believes this program will help them to be able to more easily find a job in the future.

“The CSR program of Bakcell, being one of the largest investors in the economy of Azerbaijan, is by-turn one of the largest CSR programs in the country. “Bakcell Stars” Program, which used to aim mostly at children with a need for care, in the last two years period has broadened its sphere of activity, and now supports involvement of youth in the IT and telecommunications sector as well. We have already implemented several successful projects in this area, and SOS is one of our long-term partners. The majority of teenagers participating in the “ICT Academy” are beneficiaries of projects previously implemented jointly by Bakcell and the Association. And if our previous joint projects were mostly aimed at integration of these children to society, the “ICT Academy” aims at increasing opportunities of teenage SOS residents to find a job, after they are old enough to leave” says Bakcell CEO Mr. Richard Shearer.

The “ICT Academy” is located at Baku Children’s Village, and has been equipped with all the needed equipment by the side of Bakcell.

It should be noted that cooperation between “SOS” Bakcell has started in the year 2009, and a total of 3 joint projects were implemented during this period within the frames of “Bakcell Stars” Corporate Social Responsibility program.