Participation in the Lviv IT Cluster Mentor Support Program: Ciklum Experience 

Knowledge exchange is a two-way street, and mentorship helps both mentors and bachelor’s program students, supported by our community, to grow professionally. Within the IT Expert project, the Mentor Support Program was created, in which Ciklum, among others, has participated. Tetyana Laduba, Global Employer Branding Director, and Marian Krekoten, Ruby On Rails Expert and mentor in the DevOps & Data Engineering program at Lviv Polytechnic, shared their experiences of collaboration between mentors and students.

Mentorship is the puzzle piece that was missing in modern technical education. By interacting with mentors, students absorb their practical experience. This helps them to immediately identify the right development vector and not waste time on unnecessary things. For mentors, it’s an opportunity to deepen their expertise, enhance leadership skills, and create joint projects with students. The Mentor Support Program includes two main directions: encouraging mentors from Lviv IT Cluster and from IT companies joining the program.

Last year, experts from Ciklum in Automation QA and Ruby on Rails joined the mentorship for bachelor’s programs supported by the Cluster. This academic year, four more Ciklum specialists have volunteered to mentor. Two of them have already started working with students in the Data Science program at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, while others will join the collaboration in the winter-spring semester.

“Knowledge exchange, particularly in the form of mentorship, is part of our culture and our ‘Never Stand Still’ philosophy. Ciklumers share their expertise both within the company and beyond its borders. For instance, our internal mentoring practices allow specialists to deepen their knowledge of specific technologies, acquire specialized skills, and improve their soft skills. Among the external initiatives, it is worth mentioning participation in specialized conferences, creating courses for educational platforms, open lectures in the Speakers’ Corners format, and so on,” notes Tetyana Laduba.

Each company decides on its own how it will support mentors working with students. At Ciklum, specialists are assisted with preparing talks – from creating presentation materials to promoting events. The company also helps in developing personal brands – constantly publicizing the achievements of its specialists externally, both in its own social networks and in the media. Activities for mentors are also organized by the L&D department. These include closed meetings with lecturers who provide mentoring advice, as well as meetings for developing soft skills.

Ciklum is convinced that deepening expertise, continuous learning, and participation in the life of professional communities are must-haves for the development of IT professionals. This is primarily about forming an ecosystem, a social mission.

“Ukraine has tremendous potential for further development of the industry and increasing the number of IT specialists. And as a business, we strive to contribute to the popularization of IT professions and relevant educational programs in various formats,” adds Tetyana Laduba.

One of the company’s mentors is Marian Krekoten, Ruby On Rails Expert. Marian has been mentoring for over 5 years, 2 of which he has worked with students in bachelor’s programs supported by the Lviv IT Cluster. Last academic year, he worked with students at Lviv Polytechnic.

“Mentoring company employees and students are different things. However, student mentorship is particularly interesting. During my studies, I wanted not just to communicate with teachers but also with practitioners who know how it really works, what needs to be known/learned, and what to pay more attention to. Essentially, my mentorship is trying to compensate for what I lacked during my student years.

Usually, students want you to take on the role of a lead and completely build their work. I immediately tell them that I won’t do that. Because a mentor is someone who should help, not do the project instead of students. I am available to students almost 18 hours a day, they can come at any time, ask, and I will respond,” shares Marian Krekoten.

Volunteers who pass on key knowledge and skills to students deserve comprehensive support, and the Lviv IT Cluster’s Mentor Support Program is an excellent tool for synergy, allowing the efforts of the community, its companies, and mentors to be united for the development of the future generation.

If you want to contribute to the development of tech education and mentorship culture in your company, please contact the University Programs Lead at Lviv IT Cluster, Oleh Leskiv, at oleh.leskiv@itcluster.lviv.ua.