Area employers interested in sending employees to Georgia Tech-Savannah’s coding boot camp -- a 24-week program that will give participants the skills needed to create front and back-end web applications -- are eligible to receive as much as a 90 percent tuition reimbursement via scholarship grants provided by the Coastal Workforce Investment Board. Registrations are still being accepted for the second cohort of the popular coding boot camp scheduled to begin on May 9.

“While web development is a profession that can be tough and time consuming, this class is ideal for working professionals,” said Diane Lee, director of Georgia Tech-Savannah. “Savannah employers are looking for programmers -- 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.”
 
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 curriculum covers 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 will spend 10-15 hours each week on outside projects and experiential learning activities to build a professional project portfolio that showcases their abilities to create web applications.
 
Students will also receive a range of career-planning services, portfolio reviews, demo days, recruiting assistance and extensive staff support. Local businesses participating in Georgia Tech Coding Boot Camp’s employer network will advise on the subject material and other student needs. While no previous experience is required, applicants should have a basic understanding of coding. Upon graduating, students will receive a certificate in Fullstack Web Development from Georgia Tech Professional Education, currently the only university-backed boot camp in the State of Georgia.
 
CWIB’s Incumbent Worker Training program provides funding assistance to companies to provide skills training and increase the skill level of employees so they can be promoted within the company. Companies with 50 or fewer employees are eligible for 90 percent of training-related costs, those with 51 to 100 employees can be reimbursed for 75 percent, and businesses with 100 employees or more can receive 50 percent of costs. Employees need to have been employed for a minimum for 6 months to be eligible for funding.

The Coding Boot Camp, which will start on May 9, 2017, is designed to welcome 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.). To learn more about Georgia Tech Coding Boot Camp, visit savannahcodingbootcamp.com. Students can apply online or by calling 912-436-3732.