The first class of area professionals recently graduated from Georgia Tech-Savannah’s Coding Boot Camp, a 24-week, innovative program designed to address the critical shortage of web developers in our region. Students, who learned how to create front and back-end web applications, shared their final projects with potential employers -- including Gulfstream, Clark Creative, Creative Coast, Oak Works, Focus Labs and Gauge Interactive -- at a demo day held last week. In addition to the Savannah class, the Atlanta campus graduated 55 students.
 
“We were very pleased these coding boot camps have proven to be so successful,” said Nelson Baker, dean of professional education at Georgia Tech. “This meets a critical workforce need in two Georgia markets -- Atlanta and Savannah.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, web development ranks among the world’s fastest-growing professions, with jobs projected to increase at a 20 percent annual pace through 2022. The opportunities for skilled developers have long passed the labor supply: Of more than 150,000 new openings posted each year, some 50,000 go unfilled. The median salary for professional web developers is $63,000, with some earning as much as $110,000 a year.
 
The Georgia Tech Professional Education coding boot camp curriculum covered everything from the basics of coding, algorithms and data structure, to intensive training in Javascript, Node.js, HTML, CSS, jQuery, C#, and more. In addition to learning in the classroom, students spent 10-15 hours each week on outside projects and experiential learning activities to build a professional project portfolio that showcased their abilities to create web applications.

“Savannah employers are looking for programmers and web developers -- people who can build websites, develop software and apps -- and this class provides a way to gain these desirable skills at the highest level in only six months. It is the language of the future,” said Trip Tollison, president and CEO, Savannah Economic Development Authority. “There are fantastic incentives for technology businesses in Savannah, and these graduates will have the skills to get hired and have the kind of careers that can change lives.”

Kandace Sweat, a web application developer with Daniel Defense, took the coding boot camp to build upon her skills. Her project was an LMS (Learning Management System) for Daniel Defense that serves as a hub where the training director can upload training material, and new employees can take courses, and then are required to take tests.
 
“Ever since I started the coding boot camp, I’ve been able to apply what I’ve learned at work,” said Sweat. “I was able to grow in my career and also help improve operations at Daniel Defense, without having to move away to take a coding boot camp somewhere else.”
 
The second class started in May and will graduate in November; with the third cohort of Georgia Tech-Savannah’s Coding Boot Camp starting on November 7, 2017. The 24-week course is designed to accommodate the schedules of working professionals and students, with two three-hour evening classes during the week (Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.) and a four-hour class on Saturdays (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.).

“A career in web development can offer unthinkable opportunities for inspiring work and professional growth,” said Diane Lee, director of the Georgia Tech-Savannah campus. “Georgia Tech Coding Boot Camp can provide the perfect entry point for anyone willing to work hard to learn web development.”

To learn more about Georgia Tech Professional Education’s Coding Boot Camp, visit codingbootcamp.pe.gatech.edu/savannah/. Students can apply online or by calling 912-436-3732.