A campus of "School 21" has opened in Lipetsk, where anyone over 18 can acquire in-demand IT skills at no cost. The opening ceremony was attended by Herman Gref, President and Chairman of the Board of Sberbank, and Igor Artamonov, Governor of the Lipetsk Region.

Guests at the Lipetsk "School 21" opening were greeted by a digital assistant that explained the curriculum, campus features, and the building's history, while also co-hosting the event. The assistant was developed using Sber Metaverse Tech, Sber's GigaChat large language model, and other cutting-edge AI solutions.

Herman Gref, President and Chairman of the Board of Sberbank:
"In Lipetsk, we are opening the 16th 'School 21' in Russia. This campus is built on the most advanced technologies, but most importantly, it has soul and heart.

One of the core principles of 'School 21' is free education. There are no barriers for talented individuals from even the most remote areas to come and receive world-class training. We have no age restrictions—the oldest applicant here is 58. 'School 21' prepares unique specialists across a broad range of fields, which we continue to expand. As a result, our graduates advance in their careers 2-3 times faster than graduates of other universities.

I extend my gratitude to Governor Igor Artamonov, his team, the builders, and everyone at Sber who contributed to this project. To the students: Stay healthy, resilient, and confident. If you're here today, you're already highly motivated. Believe in yourselves, and success will follow."

The "School 21" campus is housed in a historic building at 1 Zeigel Street, a regional cultural heritage site. The location has long been tied to education: 114 years ago, it hosted the Lipetsk Real School, later a vocational school and a branch of the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys. Now, the building enters a new era as a training ground for digital engineers.

Igor Artamonov, Governor of the Lipetsk Region:
"We've already made significant strides in developing foundational IT education here. Our region boasts IT Cubes, IT Bits, Kvantoriums, and a robust technical college system. But we're not stopping there. 'School 21' is a top-tier global IT education program—free, accessible, and aligned with industry demands. This guarantees employment for graduates and ensures our region has the talent needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world. Through this project, Lipetsk is shaping a future where everyone can realize their potential."

The Lipetsk "School 21" campus has 202 workstations. Among applicants, 75% are Lipetsk residents, with others hailing from Voronezh, Ryazan, Leningrad, and Tambov regions. The first selection "pool" includes 240 participants, averaging 31 years old, with 33% women and 30% university students. Many have backgrounds in IT, engineering, or programming, while others transitioned from fields like journalism, healthcare, and construction.

After the selection phase, students choose a specialization: backend, frontend, mobile development, or GameDev. Additionally, the school offers five programs requiring coding proficiency but not at developer-level intensity: cybersecurity, Data Science, system/business analysis, DevOps, and software testing (QA). These focus on automating processes and data management. Accelerated courses are available for IT professionals seeking to upskill.

The school employs a "peer-to-peer" learning model, where students teach and learn from one another. This approach builds not only technical skills but also soft skills critical for IT success: teamwork, self-discipline, and time management.

The Lipetsk campus is part of Sber's educational initiative, implemented in partnership with the Lipetsk Regional Government under the mandate of the President of the Russian Federation.