In recent years there has been a sharp rise in the number of so-called ‘coding bootcamps’. A coding bootcamp is a technical training program in which students are taught programming and web development skills in a few weeks or months. Currently, graduating with a computer science degree takes about four years on average (Stanier, 2019). Coding bootcamps teach you a compact number of technological skills based on current industry dynamics in a much shorter time. The focus is on practical skills and application.
The digital era forces organizations to optimize their software capabilities in order to achieve operational efficiency, as well as to remain competitive (Kamen, 2019). Thus, the boom in coding bootcamps can greatly be attributed to the current talent shortage of software developers that exists across industries
There are several advantages of coding bootcamps. In relation to US college degrees, coding bootcamps cost a lot less, being priced at around 10,000-20,000 Euro. Nonetheless, in relation to many European universities coding bootcamps are a lot more expensive. Another advantage is that several coding bootcamps are online and thus can be performed remotely from anywhere in the world and in a flexible manner. Furthermore, the short duration of coding bootcamp enables them to respond to potential technological changes and to correspondingly alter their curriculum. According to a study performed by the job portal Indeed (2017), 72% of employers said bootcamp graduates are just as prepared to be high performers as degree holders.
On the other hand, most employees still require college degrees and view coding bootcamps as more of a form of continued education. College degrees are not only concerned with the material you study, but also foster personal growth and development of soft skills such as social competency, which online coding bootcamps in specific will be unable to provide (Kamen, 2019). Furthermore, the fast-paced nature of coding bootcamps may lead to people not fully understanding the material. Additionally, it is unrealistic to expect to be proficient in several programming languages in the course of just a few months.
While I do not believe coding bootcamps are a viable alternative to a college degree at this point, they pose a great opportunity for people that want to further develop their skills and improve their relative competitive positioning in the job market. Furthermore, I think it is not realistic to gain the full compass of coding skills that you would learn in a 4-year degree in such a short period of time. At this time coding bootcamps are more a place to get started in the web development field.
Have you ever thought about joining or already completed a coding bootcamp? Do you think a move from coding bootcamps to coding academies would threaten conventional higher education?
Sources:
Indeed. (2019). What Do Employers Really Think About Coding Bootcamps?. [online] Available at: http://indeed.com/2017/05/02/what-employers-think-about-coding-bootcamp/ [Accessed 6 Oct. 2019].
Kamen, M. (2019). How Do Coding Bootcamps Compare To Traditional College?. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/07/29/how-do-coding-bootcamps-compare-to-traditional-college/#7ac05a04b824 [Accessed 6 Oct. 2019].
Stanier, J. (2019). Coding Bootcamps: a Glimpse at the Future of Education?. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@jstanier/coding-bootcamps-a-glimpse-at-the-future-of-education-9592f2335758 [Accessed 6 Oct. 2019].
