How coding bootcamps benefit both recent college grads and employers

With technology careers in high demand, coding bootcamps have become a popular method for recent college grads to gain the additional skills needed to jump start, advance, and succeed in a career in technology. Coding bootcamps are short – but intense – training opportunities focusing on teaching students the latest, in-demand technical skills.

Revature is a technology talent development company providing a turn-key talent acquisition solution for corporate and government partners and no-cost coding bootcamps for university graduates. Revature recently announced several strategic partnerships to provide free on-campus coding bootcamps with the City University of New York (CUNY), Arizona State University, Davidson College and the University of Missouri – with more partnership announcements planned into 2017. A college degree is required at the time of attendance for the on-site bootcamps. Students are typically graduates or even graduating seniors who are ready to deepen their skills and have a job when they graduate. The coding bootcamp is typically 12 weeks, full-time.

“Revature is training the next generation of software engineers, a profession that continuously needs people current – and even ahead – of the technology curve,” says Joe Vacca, CMO at Revature. “We started these university partnerships to create a pathway to high-paying coding careers for graduates across the country.”

According to a recent report, 73% of coding bootcamp graduates surveyed report being employed in a full-time job requiring the skills learned at bootcamp, with an average salary increase of 64%. Roughly half of the jobs in the top income quartile — defined as those paying $57,000 or more per year — are in occupations that commonly require applicants to have at least some computer coding knowledge or skill. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, software development careers are projected to grow 17% through 2024.

“We’re finding that there are not enough students graduating with a computer science degree to fill current and future needs and that expanding the pool of applicants beyond computer science majors will help fill the gap,” says Vacca.

In the College Recruiter article Coding bootcamps provide students with chance for a career reboot, Jennifer Cline, Senior Marketing Manager for Grand Circus, a technology learning institute in the heart of downtown Detroit that offers a variety of 10-week coding bootcamps, says coding bootcamps have become incredibly effective in filling some of the skills gap America is facing. “As new technologies emerge, colleges unfortunately can’t keep up with the ever-changing demands of the industry,” says Cline.

The primary focus at coding bootcamps is on programming, and not a variety of classes like what is offered at a conventional college or university, says David Gilcher, lead resource manager at Kavaliro, a woman-owned and minority-owned firm employing more than 300 IT professionals, management, and administrative staff around the country.

“Companies know these students are getting specific training in the in-demand programming languages,” says Gilcher.

Students who complete a Revature bootcamp are taught coding/tech skills, earn industry certification, and also have access to Revature Pro, Revature’s custom/proprietary, self-paced online course that teaches beginning through advanced coding skills. The best part about all of this? Graduates of Revature’s coding bootcamp are guaranteed employment with Revature after successfully completing a bootcamp.

Benefits of coding bootcamps

Why coding bootcamps? According to Gallup, only 11% of business leaders believe graduating students have the competencies their business needs.

“One of a college graduate’s greatest challenges is to secure a good job without necessarily having a lot of experience,” says Vacca. “However, when someone completes our bootcamp, they’ve gained the experience to start a career with some of the best companies in the country.”

RevaturePro bootcamp attendees receive certifications in software languages such as Java and .Net and work on real-world, enterprise-level projects – like building a CRM. They learn agile development and object oriented programming, two key elements needed to succeed in a technology position. Those who attend the bootcamp at Revature’s headquarters in Reston, Virginia, are provided accommodations, a weekly living allowance and travel expenses. Revature covers the cost of industry certifications, teaches students soft skills (interpersonal, communication, team work) and provides interview training and preparation, and then places them with one of Revature’s enterprise clients as a software engineer.

“A decade ago, the half-life of a software engineer was estimated to be 2.5 years,” says Vacca. “Technology is always – and rapidly – changing. The ability for someone to unlearn and relearn IT coding skills is a game changer for technology professionals. Having next-gen coding skills, keeping up-to-date, reskilling and always updating will put a software engineer ahead of the game.”

In addition, technology is changing the way many industries work––from graphic design to marketing to financial services and beyond, technology is reshaping not just IT departments, but overall corporate strategy.

“Essentially companies that are not thought of as traditional tech companies such as Goldman Sachs and Walmart are turning into some of the most leading edge tech companies that you would never suspect,” says Vacca. “Thus coding skills are becoming increasingly valuable and in-demand for new-hires in a variety of industries.”

Coding bootcamps allow both men and women a chance to launch a career in information technology.

“It’s important for any industry to provide opportunities for qualified individuals, regardless of race, sex and socio-economic background,” says Vacca. “While physical diversity is important, diversity of thought is what will spur innovation and is critical to avoiding group think. By offering Revature at universities, we’re casting a much wider net and making this profession accessible to a more diverse group of people; talented people who may otherwise not have the opportunity to fine-tune their coding skills and secure a rewarding job.”

“High paying careers aren’t necessarily only available to computer science and STEM graduates,” says Vacca. “Advances in technology are part of every occupation. Having coding skills will put someone ahead of their peers and help them secure a rewarding job.”

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About Joe Vacca
Joe Vacca currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer for Revature. He previously served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Identity Guard, a leading identity protection provider where he led both direct to consumer and business to business marketing efforts.  Mr. Vacca has also held executive positions with Intersections Inc. a provider of information risk management products and EduCap a private non-profit education finance company. Mr. Vacca brings more than 20 years of experience to the position, where he is responsible for building brand identity, sales development, marketing operations and digital strategy.