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Coding boot camp preparing graduates for web development workforce begins

Yekaterina+Kharitonova%2C+a+computer+science+Ph.D+student%2C+working+with+the+Semantically+Linked+Instructional+Content+project+interface.+The+project+utilizes+the+Interdisciplinary+Visual+Intelligence+lab+and+is+researching+how+the+presentation+and+interactivity+of+a+slide+show+effects+how+a+student+retains+information.
Victoria Periera

Yekaterina Kharitonova, a computer science Ph.D student, working with the Semantically Linked Instructional Content project interface. The project utilizes the Interdisciplinary Visual Intelligence lab and is researching how the presentation and interactivity of a slide show effects how a student retains information.

The UA Continuing and Professional Education department has partnered to create a coding boot camp that will provide future graduates with job opportunities in web development.

For the first time at UA, a total of 50 students, in two cohorts of 25, will report to the Chandler Community Center, where UA has dedicated classroom space provided by the city.

The impact of this new course is to create an avenue to fill new roles in web and software development, which is an expanding career, according to Amalia Mora, program coordinator for the Continuing and Professional Education department.

“I think the key issue is that there’s a kind of gap in the job market,” Mora said. “So one figure that we’ve been citing is that by 2020, there will be 1 million more software jobs than applicants who can fill those roles in the entire United States.”

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The department partnered with Trilogy Education Services to establish the 24- week course that begins in April and will be offered at night to provide flexibility to different schedules.

The course cost is $9,500 which can be paid off using a payment plan. There’s also discounts provided for UA alumni. The program is open to anyone and programming experience is not necessary.

“Another really great thing about this program is that career services are built into it, so students have access to things like portfolio reviews and one-on-one career coaching as well,” Mora said.

She said the course is intended to make student ready to enter the local job market in the Chandler and Phoenix areas. 

“The curriculum is really market driven too, so it’s really geared towards the local job market in the Chandler and greater Phoenix area,” she said. “So that also adds to that attractiveness as a program.”

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Rebecca Cook, the UA Continuing and Professional Education director, said offering the course in the Phoenix area provided more outlets for graduates to take.

“We know that it’s a growing field and we’re offering it up in the Phoenix area just because there’s more business and industry there that’s looking for that kind of expertise,” she said. “So it’s really an opportunity for adults to kind of add to their resume and be competitive in a field that seems to be growing and is in demand.”

Students can expect to learn and be trained on the many popular coding languages that will make them attractive to different ?web developing entities. “Our part-time, full stack web development boot camps prepare job-ready students for high-growth roles in web development, software engineering and architecture,” Trilogy said on its website.

Trilogy Education Services has worked with different colleges and been successful, a key reason for the current partnership with UA.

Trilogy has partnered with schools such as Rutgers, UCLA and the University of North Carolina. Trilogy also claims over 1,000 active students and 90 percent of students “land new opportunities” from this program.

“So they have actually sort of built the core of this coding camp…they’ve been really successful,” Mora said.

Since 2012, UA classroom spaces have been located at the Chandler Community Center for credit and non-credit courses. Mora said this is convenient for students who may already be taking additional classes.

“Another great coincidence in deciding to host the course in the Chandler or greater Phoenix area is that the city of Chandler has actually been providing us with this great UA-Chandler space for credit and non-credit courses,” she said. “That really enabled us to host this program in an area where it would make the most sense marketwise and in terms of potential ability to reach out to the people who might benefit from this course the most.”

According to Mora, the first cohort of 25 students is full and the second has experienced interested students who have enrolled. For those who miss the chance to participate in April, another round of opportunities comes in July.

Cook said this is a chance for potential students to add more expertise within their portfolio. “It’s a good opportunity and a real focus on a specific area,” she said. “It’s not a degree program, it’s non-degree, but if you really want to add that expertise this is a good chance to do it.”


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