From smartphones and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to cryptocurrencies and social media platforms, tech impacts how we work, play, shop, socialize, and do business—and none of that is slowing down.
In fact, despite the headlines, growth in technology roles remains steady. For starters, software developer took the #1 spot in U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Jobs Rankings 2023,” with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting a 25% increase in open positions between 2021 and 2031. That’s five times the average job outlook, with 162,900 roles slated to open each year.
It’s a demand reverberating around the world, as the global software market is projected to reach $650 billion in 2023. To keep pace, organizations across industries desperately need tech talent to develop cutting-edge products and services.
That’s why we’re so excited to announce an enhanced version of our best-in-class Software Engineering Bootcamp today. For students wondering how to get an engineering job with no experience—or employers struggling with how to recruit and hire great software engineers—read on for the latest and greatest updates to our program.
What’s New in Our Software Engineering Bootcamp?
At its core, this update is all about supercharging the learner experience. Students will benefit from more personalization, increased flexibility, and greater access to support—all while receiving a world-class tech education that will have them job-ready in just 12 weeks. Meanwhile, employers gain access to a potent, proven, and highly adaptable training program that’s capable of upskilling or reskilling talent into vital tech roles quickly—without sacrificing quality.
For employers looking for nontraditional paths to fill critical junior tech roles, this latest iteration represents a leap forward in flexibility. The new delivery model provides more modularized content that can be adapted to support any number of job-specific pathways—while at the same time providing crucial mentoring services tailored to the individual needs of each worker. In addition, the content better mirrors real on-the-job tasks and activities for specific industries.
The Bootcamp features 420-480 hours of software engineering instruction, comprising a wide range of instruction methodologies. It’s a beginner-friendly program with no prerequisites, though course pre-work will be assigned. The enhanced version now features:
Live Daily Standups
During these 90-minute live online sessions, students join their entire cohort and instruction team twice a day to go over concepts, triage issues, review work, and get their questions answered. Similar to standups in the real world, this sync sets the tone for the morning and afternoon—and identifies students who need additional support.
Supported Practice
Through supported practice sessions, students get the added benefit of live, just-in-time support from instructors. In addition the program offers:
- Time-bound Daily Sessions. Each day, time is carved out for students to watch lessons and work through problems (see the sample daily schedule below). They can learn at their own pace, but need to complete the daily material within the practice session.
- Video Instruction. Approximately half of the Bootcamp content is now delivered in the form of recorded lessons that students can watch, pause, reference, and rewatch until they master a concept.
- Workplace-based Problem Solving. Designed to reflect practical on-the-job scenarios, these problems give students an immediate opportunity to apply their new knowledge and skills in real-world contexts.
- Just-in-Time Support. Modeled after the way junior developers seek support from mentors or senior team members on the job, our Just-in-Time support enables learners to tap instructors and instructional associates for help with lessons, problems, and projects—right at the moment of need.
Independent Work
Following a day of lessons, practice problems, and collaboration, students are ready to begin their independent work—reinforcing the key concepts and applying the skills they learned that day. Instructional assistants are available in the evenings—after normal course hours—to provide students with additional support as they work independently through their assignments.
A Day in the Life
Now that we’ve provided the broad strokes, we’ll dig into an example hour-by-hour breakdown of an action-packed day as a GA Software Engineering Bootcamp student.
- 9AM-10:30AM: Daily Standup.
- Start the day by reviewing previous concepts, triaging issues, and reviewing work for the day with the instructor and entire cohort.
- 10:30AM-1PM: Supported Practice.
- Watch lesson(s) and work through problems. Receive just-in-time support from instructors or assistants on the most challenging concepts.
- 1PM-2PM: Lunch
- 2PM-3:30PM: Daily Standup.
- Regroup with the instructor and cohort to review lessons from previous practice sessions and prepare for the afternoon’s concepts.
- 3:30PM-5PM: Supported Practice.
- Watch lesson(s) and work through problems and complete the daily material—with the backing of just-in-time support when needed.
- Homework:
- Complete two hours of independent work following the day’s lessons. This is time to reinforce key concepts and apply newly learned skills. Just-in-time support is always available.
Then it’s off to bed for a good night’s sleep—before you’re up bright and early to dive straight back into the adventure.
What Happens After Bootcamp?
Once learners complete our enhanced 12-week bootcamp, they can work with our one-on-one career coaches and tap into our thousands of hiring partners to find the perfect role for them. The world’s top tech companies hire GA graduates more than any other U.S.-based bootcamp.
In addition, GA is also a leading provider of job-ready junior tech talent for employers. Our enterprise solutions make it easy for employers to plug into our Bootcamps to source and hire software engineers, as well as fuel apprenticeship programs and reskill or upskill existing employees into engineering roles.
We’re Here To Prepare the Next Generation of Software Engineers for Success.
At General Assembly we’re committed to building the best junior software engineering talent and deploying them into businesses who desperately need this talent to succeed in today’s digital world.
If you’re a prospective Software Engineering Bootcamp student interested in learning more about our enhanced learning experience sign-up for our next info session.
If you’re an enterprise leader who wants to understand more about how to hire General Assembly graduates, get in touch.
Disclaimer: Do note that there might be variations of the blended learning for different markets due to individual regulations. Please speak with your local Admissions Producer for more information.