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Thirty representatives of territorial communities in Odesa Oblast have completed digital skills training as part of a joint educational grant programme implemented by Hillel IT School and the Odesa Oblast Regional Development Agency. The participants included deputy mayors, local government professionals and representatives of regional institutions.
During the programme, they learned how to work with data, artificial intelligence, digital communications, cybersecurity and IT processes.
Digital skills for community development
Today, communities compete not only for public funding but also for residents, businesses, tourists and investment. Having a website or a social media page is no longer enough. Communities need professionals who can analyse data, communicate clearly with residents, protect digital systems and introduce tools that simplify everyday work.
At the same time, many communities face a shortage of qualified professionals with these skills. To address this gap, Hillel IT School and the Odesa Oblast Regional Development Agency launched the joint grant programme “Digital skills for community development.”
Its goal was to provide local government professionals with practical digital skills they could apply in their daily work.
The training was provided free of charge to all 30 participants. Hillel IT School invested approximately UAH 600,000 in the programme.
Technology alone does not transform communities. Change is driven by people who know how to use technology in their everyday work. These are precisely the skills we chose to invest in,
said Vadym Drumov, CEO and co-founder of Hillel IT School.
Each participant selected one of six areas of study, all of which have practical applications in local government:
Yuliia Marinova, First Deputy Mayor of the Vylkove community, selected the social media marketing course. Vylkove is a town in the Danube Delta with significant tourism potential. In her view, digital tools can help the community take a more systematic approach to communications, online services and the promotion of local tourism.
We do not want merely to stay afloat – we want to develop systematically and professionally. I joined the programme to understand how to make online services more convenient, improve our website, work with analytics and promote tourism,
said Yuliia Marinova.
Alina Samusieva completed the web design fundamentals course. According to her, the training helped her see digital tools in a new way – not only as a means of making communications visually appealing, but also as a way to build trust, encourage engagement and interact with people.
The web design fundamentals course helped me understand how visuals and structure can bring ideas to life. In the Agency’s work, these skills will help us create modern landing pages for projects, events and initiatives that do more than simply provide information – they engage people and potential partners. The greatest change was in the way I perceive digital tools. I realised that design today is not only about aesthetics, but also about communication, trust and user experience. Even a simple website can become a starting point for broader change. To anyone who is unsure, I would say that sometimes a single course can open up an entirely new way of thinking. This training is not only about web design. It is also about presenting ideas in a modern way, working more efficiently and creating solutions that genuinely work,
said Alina Samusieva, a programme participant
The “Digital skills for community development” programme demonstrates how education and regional development can work together. Digital knowledge was gained not only by technology professionals, but also by people whose decisions directly affect the development of their communities.
Practical skills in data analytics, AI, cybersecurity, communications and digital processes can help communities manage internal tasks more effectively, communicate more clearly with residents and become more visible to potential partners and investors.
