EPAM + universities: how we work with universities in Russia
EPAM has been working closely with universities in many cities where we have offices for many years. We give open lectures at universities, conduct hackathons, workshops, participate in the organization of Olympiads and job fairs, and supervise field trips.
We also teach students in our laboratories. First, we conduct courses for them at the university, which we call an external laboratory. Then we invite the guys to our training center - the internal laboratory . We already talked about it, so today we’ll talk in more detail about external courses.
An external laboratory is a joint educational project of EPAM and universities. These are preparatory courses for students who want to gain experience and knowledge to work on real projects.
The university program is changing slowly, so it often lags behind modern realities. Technical universities in batches produce specialists who have never worked with technologies that are in demand in production here and now. But we can help. For a student, our laboratory at the university is an opportunity to choose a promising specialization and begin to develop in it. We constantly add relevant technologies and approaches to the program, give a lot of practical tasks, and teach how to work in a team.
Universities are interested in employing their graduates, therefore they are actively cooperating with us. For us, universities are a place where we tell students about the company and invite them to study in our laboratories in order to offer jobs in the future.
We conduct trainings in Frontend, Java, .NET, Test Automation, business analysis for students of large universities of St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Saratov, Izhevsk and Tver. List of courses that we read in each of these cities, you can look at our infographic on the Training Portal .
Initially, we took only third-fourth year students of IT specialties to an external laboratory. But gradually, guys began to come to us from other directions who want to change their profession. And now, in our laboratory, you can meet historians, ecologists, or even doctors. Usually they choose training on testing and business analysis, go through all stages of training and after a few years successfully work in production.
Courses, on average, last about a semester. Groups consist of 12-15 people. Classes are held approximately 2-3 times a week before or after couples. They are led by practicing developers, testers, business analysts at EPAM Senior level or higher, or university professors whom we previously trained in the company.
Studying in an external laboratory consists of lectures, practical exercises and independent work. Teachers take the educational process seriously and require the same from students, therefore, during the course, those who do not attend lectures or do homework are screened out.
Classes are usually held in the classrooms of the university. But there are exceptions. For example, in Saratov, we switched to an online training format after the success of the pilot launch. Students listen to webinar lectures, complete homework and receive feedback from the trainer. Once a month they come to the office to personally talk with the teacher and take an intermediate cut.
All courses, depending on the direction, end with an exam, testing or a final project. Students in practice show what they have learned.
For those who successfully pass the exam or defend the project, we suggest continuing their studies at the EPAM internal training center. About 50-60% of students reach this stage. The program in the internal laboratory is designed for graduate students who are more prepared and ready to immerse themselves in the study process and begin work on a real project in three to four months.
The selection in our external laboratory consists of five stages.
1. Registration
First you need to register on the training portal , choose a course and apply for participation.
2. Interview with a recruiter A recruiter
conducts a telephone interview with all potential participants. They need to talk about their motivation to study with us and answer basic technical questions. At this stage, some students are eliminated.
3. Technical interview
Those who go further are invited to an in-person interview. There, candidates from production talk to candidates. They ask more complex technical questions and ask to solve two or three problems.
As a rule, a student is given a list of topics for which they will be asked a couple of days before the interview, so he can prepare.
Sometimes the guys show such a good result that we immediately call them to the internal laboratory.
4. Checking the level of English
After a technical interview, we check the level of English. It must be at least Pre-Intermediate.
5. Feedback
Students who have successfully completed all stages are credited to an external laboratory. And for those who dropped out along the way, we explain what topics need to be pulled up, and we invite you to come next time.
Now we have open recruitment in several directions at once. On the training portal you can choose your city and register for a suitable course. We are waiting for you to study.
We also teach students in our laboratories. First, we conduct courses for them at the university, which we call an external laboratory. Then we invite the guys to our training center - the internal laboratory . We already talked about it, so today we’ll talk in more detail about external courses.
Why do we need an external laboratory
An external laboratory is a joint educational project of EPAM and universities. These are preparatory courses for students who want to gain experience and knowledge to work on real projects.
The university program is changing slowly, so it often lags behind modern realities. Technical universities in batches produce specialists who have never worked with technologies that are in demand in production here and now. But we can help. For a student, our laboratory at the university is an opportunity to choose a promising specialization and begin to develop in it. We constantly add relevant technologies and approaches to the program, give a lot of practical tasks, and teach how to work in a team.
Universities are interested in employing their graduates, therefore they are actively cooperating with us. For us, universities are a place where we tell students about the company and invite them to study in our laboratories in order to offer jobs in the future.
How is the training arranged?
We conduct trainings in Frontend, Java, .NET, Test Automation, business analysis for students of large universities of St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Saratov, Izhevsk and Tver. List of courses that we read in each of these cities, you can look at our infographic on the Training Portal .
Initially, we took only third-fourth year students of IT specialties to an external laboratory. But gradually, guys began to come to us from other directions who want to change their profession. And now, in our laboratory, you can meet historians, ecologists, or even doctors. Usually they choose training on testing and business analysis, go through all stages of training and after a few years successfully work in production.
Courses, on average, last about a semester. Groups consist of 12-15 people. Classes are held approximately 2-3 times a week before or after couples. They are led by practicing developers, testers, business analysts at EPAM Senior level or higher, or university professors whom we previously trained in the company.
Studying in an external laboratory consists of lectures, practical exercises and independent work. Teachers take the educational process seriously and require the same from students, therefore, during the course, those who do not attend lectures or do homework are screened out.
Classes are usually held in the classrooms of the university. But there are exceptions. For example, in Saratov, we switched to an online training format after the success of the pilot launch. Students listen to webinar lectures, complete homework and receive feedback from the trainer. Once a month they come to the office to personally talk with the teacher and take an intermediate cut.
All courses, depending on the direction, end with an exam, testing or a final project. Students in practice show what they have learned.
For those who successfully pass the exam or defend the project, we suggest continuing their studies at the EPAM internal training center. About 50-60% of students reach this stage. The program in the internal laboratory is designed for graduate students who are more prepared and ready to immerse themselves in the study process and begin work on a real project in three to four months.
How to get to courses at the university
The selection in our external laboratory consists of five stages.
1. Registration
First you need to register on the training portal , choose a course and apply for participation.
2. Interview with a recruiter A recruiter
conducts a telephone interview with all potential participants. They need to talk about their motivation to study with us and answer basic technical questions. At this stage, some students are eliminated.
3. Technical interview
Those who go further are invited to an in-person interview. There, candidates from production talk to candidates. They ask more complex technical questions and ask to solve two or three problems.
As a rule, a student is given a list of topics for which they will be asked a couple of days before the interview, so he can prepare.
Sometimes the guys show such a good result that we immediately call them to the internal laboratory.
4. Checking the level of English
After a technical interview, we check the level of English. It must be at least Pre-Intermediate.
5. Feedback
Students who have successfully completed all stages are credited to an external laboratory. And for those who dropped out along the way, we explain what topics need to be pulled up, and we invite you to come next time.
Now we have open recruitment in several directions at once. On the training portal you can choose your city and register for a suitable course. We are waiting for you to study.