Responding to a growing regional demand for software and tech jobs, the University of San Diego has teamed with Fullstack Academy to provide full- and part-time programs to fulfill an industry need.
One of the longest-running and most successful coding bootcamps in the country, Fullstack Academy brings the program to a San Diego market that has experienced a nearly 20% increase in software and technology jobs over the past two years, according to CBRE Tech.
Noting that “stack” in the software world refers to a broad spectrum of applications that work together to achieve a desire goal, Fullstack Academy’s founder/CEO, Nimit Maru said, “We need more people, graduates, who are comfortable with all the areas of the stack. There is definitely a growing digital skills gap that we are trying to fill.”
Though there are college-age applicants in their late teens and early 20s in the rollout of the new USD program, Maru said it’s primarily geared toward “adults with work experience in the industry in their upper 20s and lower 30s, who are looking for a career change or upgrade who don’t want to go back to school for two or four years.”
Added Maru about Fullstack, “The new USD coding bootcamp will provide students with the training and network opportunities they need for in-demand skilled technology jobs in as few as 12 weeks. The program is also ideal for San Diegans in non-tech industries such as military, education, retail and manufacturing, who seek an opportunity to discover a new passion and career path.”
Teaching Fullstack JavaScript, the first USD bootcamp, starting in May 2020, will offer a project-based curriculum. Students may participate in either a part-time, 26-week course or a full-time, 12-week course. Upon completion, graduates will receive a certificate from Fullstack Academy and USD.
Maru said tuition for the part-and full-time Fullstack program costs $11,910, which he noted is inexpensive compared with the cost of a two- or four-year university degree.
“Because San Diego will continue to experience aggressive technology sector growth, it is imperative we proactively ensure our community has the requisite skills,” said Andy Drotos, director of professional and public programs at USD’s Division of Professional and Continuing Education. “Expanding our partnership with Fullstack Academy means our local workforce will have more options when transitioning to a new career in an expeditious and effective manner.”
Added Drotos, “There is rapid growth in tech jobs with 1,400 positions open, as of today, for software engineers and web developers. Fullstack is the fastest way to try and close this gap. Growth in the industry is not going to slow down anytime soon.”
Drotos noted San Diego is ranked by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top five U.S. cities for software and technology jobs.
Seventy-nine percent of Fullstack graduates surveyed said they’ve been employed in a job requiring the skills learned at bootcamp, with an average salary increase of 49%.
Fullstack Academy opened in 2013, after co-founders David Yang and Nimit Maru opted to go full-time building a coding school. Fullstack has developed partnerships with leading universities around the country and added cybersecurity to its list of specialty bootcamp offerings. Graduates have gone on to work at Google, Facebook, Amazon, various Fortune 100 firms, and countless startups. More details can be found at fullstackacademy.com or at gracehopper.com.
