Podcast

September 2021 Coding Bootcamp News

Jess Feldman

Written By Jess Feldman

Last updated on September 29, 2021

Course Report strives to create the most trust-worthy content about coding bootcamps. Read more about Course Report’s Editorial Policy and How We Make Money.

Course Report · Course Report Coding Bootcamp News Roundup - September 2021

Happy Fall! With the kick-off of a new academic year, we saw more buzz about the value of attending college versus a coding bootcamp as major industries drop the college degree requirement. Large online college-bootcamp program management companies like 2U and Wiley released their first transparency reports, and new ideas emerged about how to diversify the tech pipeline. Workforce development continues to be top-of-mind, and we read reports on the tech training employers and employees need to stay relevant. ISA regulation bubbled up again as the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made a move against an ISA provider. Plus, find out which 5 new bootcamps we added to the Course Report directory this month!

Curious about what happened in August 2021? Check out last month’s episode with the biggest bootcamp news from August.

$665M IN FUNDRAISES + A NEW CEO

  • TechCrunch reports that Vietnam-based CoderSchool landed $2.6M in pre-series A.
  • ​​According to Forbes and TechInAsia, Rocket Academy raised $1.1 million in pre-seed funding from 50 angel investors and venture capitalists.
  • Emeritus announced a $650M funding round, which now values the company at $3.2 billion.
  • Turing College announced a $1.05 million seed round to continue expansion. Turing College was part of the Y Combinator W21 batch and has now received $2.5 million in funding in total.
  • The Miami Times reports that Automation Workz Institute has received a $10 million donation from ISA-provider Blair.
  • According to the Birmingham Business Journal, Veroskills raised a $500,000 seed round. 
  • Flatiron School has appointed Kate Cassino as its new CEO. 

REGULATING ISAs + UNIVERSITY-BOOTCAMP STUDENT OUTCOMES

  • Higher Ed Dive and Business Insider reports that ISA provider, Better Future Forward received a consent order from the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Better Future Forward does not work with any bootcamps, to our knowledge.
  • Heather Payne, the CEO of Juno College of Technology, wrote in Betakit about the lessons they’ve learned about offering ISAs to their students.
  • Inside Higher Ed highlighted the new impact reports released by online program management companies 2U, Wiley, and Academy Partnerships about their student outcomes.
  • NYC Data Science Academy announced that they were accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET).

THE LATEST ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

  • FedScoop reports that the White House launched the US Digital Corps, which is a 2-year fellowship aimed at placing early-career software engineers, data scientists and other technologists at federal agencies.
  • HR Dive reports that the Department of Labor has committed $90M for employee training to aid workers who were displaced by the pandemic. $90M is double what DOL was originally going to put towards this employee training aid, and the funds will also cover career guidance.
  • A Monster poll found that 50% of employees were concerned about the future of their work due to a potential skills gap, specifically technology, computer and occupation-specific training.
  • HR Dive points out that 60% of hiring decision-makers are already planning on reskilling their employees by the end of 2021. 
  • On CIO Dive, spokespeople from 5 organizations shared how they’ve set up tech training programs at their own companies and how those have helped with employee retention. 
  • The Daily Yonder reports on how Utah’s Rural Online Initiative (also known as ROI) is supporting today’s rural Utah residents looking for tech jobs. 

COLLEGE VS BOOTCAMP: THE DEBATE CONTINUES

  • CNBC highlighted Kate Lillemoen, a 21-year-old college grad who enrolled at Tech Elevator and then landed her first software engineer role. Reflecting on her education journey, Kate says, “If I knew then what I know now, I probably would have skipped college.” 
  • Axios dug in a bit more on this cultural shift we’re seeing right now in education as more employers accept job applicants with alternative credentials instead of just college degrees. 
  • AdWeek reported on how ad agencies are following in the steps of big tech companies by ditching the college degree requirement.
  • In Geektime, Ingrid Toppelberg, the CPO of Cybint Solutions, shared her perspective on how bootcamp partnerships expand the university’s ability to cater to employment-focused students.
  • Forbes contributor Steve Tengler also took on the college vs coding bootcamp question, by focusing on a student’s return-on-investment. Steve points out that it could take a Computer Science grad 26 years to surpass a bootcamp grad’s head start making money in the tech field.

BOOTCAMPS DIVERSIFYING DATA SCIENCE + CYBERSECURITY

  • Globe and Mail reports that women make up just 15%-22% of the data science workforce. 
  • Correlation One launched a women’s only cohort of its Data Science for All program.
  • The Hill covered a recent report about how to diversify the cybersecurity field. 
  • Flatiron School became a OneTen tech talent partner.
  • Technical.ly Pittsburgh points out that there is racial disparity in who is seeing a salary lift in the new tech community.

5 NEW BOOTCAMPS ON COURSE REPORT

  • Holberton School is opening a new campus in Tirana, Albania. 
  • Cybint has partnered with Xepto Education to launch a new cybersecurity bootcamp in the Philippines.
  • Cybint is partnering with CyberOps Training Academy to offer courses to the Texas business community.

We also added these 5 new schools to our directory:

JESS & LIZ’S FAVORITE SEPTEMBER BLOG POSTS

Jess was so excited to speak with Yolanda Natal-Santos about the Microsoft Leap Apprenticeship Program. Microsoft Leap is a paid, full-time apprenticeship aimed at diversifying the tech pipeline. The program is super competitive to get into, but Yolanda shared how bootcamp grads such as the grads from Sabio make a big impression on the admissions team. 

Liz really enjoyed producing a podcast episode with Grand Circus bootcamp grad Liam. Liam graduated from Grand Circus in Detroit in 2017 and 4 years later, he’s working as a software engineer at Quicken in Detroit. To pay for his bootcamp, Liam took out a loan with a Living Stipend from Ascent Funding (previously called Skills Fund). Find out if it was ultimately worth it for Liam to take out a loan for a bootcamp!

About The Author

Jess Feldman

Jess Feldman

Jess Feldman is an accomplished writer and the Content Manager at Course Report, the leading platform for career changers who are exploring coding bootcamps. With a background in writing, teaching, and social media management, Jess plays a pivotal role in helping Course Report readers make informed decisions about their educational journey.

Also on Course Report

Get Free Bootcamp Advice

Sign up for our newsletter and receive our free guide to paying for a bootcamp.

By submitting this form, you agree to receive email marketing from Course Report.

Get Matched in Minutes

Just tell us who you are and what you’re searching for, we’ll handle the rest.

Match Me