Elections, politics and the debate on education reform. Should university fees be lowered? Should they be raised? Should people even bother to go to university? Debates, debates, endless debates. Some subjects like medicine demands an in-depth university education experience but other subjects? Many are a waste of time. Learning theory doesn’t necessarily translate into practical skills that lead to employment. Sometimes you just need to learn simply by doing, especially when it comes to learning computer programming.
A 2012 study found that only 40% of ‘Software Engineering, Programmer or Computer Scientist’ jobs were filled by Computer Science (CS) graduates. Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison… None of these have degrees of any kind – something they share with 47% of web developers.
There are alternatives to traditional education. Makers Academy is a fully immersive, 12 week computer programming bootcamp. It’s like Oxbridge meets the Royal Marines, but for people who want to learn to code, and is designed to turn people with no knowledge of web-development into job-ready junior developers in just 12 weeks. We’re Europe’s #1 Developer Bootcamp, running a new class of 25 highly selected students every 6 weeks.
We’ve had people from a range of different backgrounds come through the course including students who studied computer science at university but found that it didn’t prepare them for the fast-paced technology sector. At Makers Academy we’re able to update the curriculum every 6 weeks and stay on top of industry trends. By working with tech companies and employers we’re making sure the students we produce are directly addressing the current skills gap.
Most of all, our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Sroop came from a background of Design and illustration to Makers Academy with the hope of broadening her skillset and refreshing her career. She felt limited by her design skills and wanted to open up new doors and expose herself to different opportunities. She decided to join Makers Academy for 12 intense weeks to learn to code. Sroop explains “My life has turned around since graduation. I got a full stack role at a brilliant agency with an amazing work culture and philosophy that is very much in line with Makers Academy’s. I have a job that I love with clear focus, direction and endless possibilities.”
If you’re wondering how much this experience costs, and if it’s worth it, Andrew Cumine – who went through course and now works as a junior developer at Red Badger – said “If you are thinking about changing careers then make sure you are ready to struggle and are up for a fight and although £8000 might feel very expensive just compare it to a year’s worth of university tuition.”
Sroop and Andrew are two amongst many stories. We have plenty more stories that you can read here – people from very different backgrounds taking an alternative route of education and changing careers. Reckon you’ve got what it takes? Then apply for a spot today!
Related
