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Why unemployed Millennials should zero-in on tech training

 

We, as a country, have mostly recovered from the recession that spanned from 2008 to 2012. Home prices have gone up, consumer confidence is returning, and unemployment rates have likewise fallen to pre-recession levels in many states. But there is one group of Americans that has not experienced the recovery — millenials.

Millennials are those of us who were born in the 1980s on up to the early 2000s. They’re responsible for the hipster movement, black rimmed glasses and impossibly tight jeans. They are also experiencing an unemployment rate of 16.3 percent, which is almost three times the national average.

There have been theories as to why the rate is so high. These theories range from disinterest in the status quo to poorly prepared post grads, and even ageism in the workplace. However, when you compare these unemployment numbers to another startling figure, the picture becomes clearer.

While millennials are experiencing double-digit unemployment rates, there are currently over 130,000 open tech jobs in the U.S. at the time of writing this article. Over 2,000 of those open jobs are in Utah. Yet they sit unfilled. In fact, tech companies are finding it increasingly difficult to find anyone to fill their open positions. This is causing salaries to rise much faster than the national average due to scarcity.

Thus, if there are open jobs and high unemployment rates, I would suggest that the cause of unemployment is at the educational level. Students are not being taught how to program, code and engineer software. Instead, they continue to pursue degrees in English, communications and other such fields.

Looking to the universities for a solution to this problem is not the most effective thing to do. Currently, there is a new industry that is taking the tech world by storm. It’s called coding camps. What these camps do is train anyone to become an entry-level coder or programmer in as little as nine weeks. The courses don’t require a college education, they also don’t require you to be incredibly computer savvy.

The coding camps also provide their students with job placement after they graduate. Many of the camps have partnered with corporations that will offer the students sponsorship through the programs, or they may provide them with scholarships, and some companies will even guarantee them a job upon completion of the course.

The average starting wage for graduates of these camps is around $45,000. However, many students have received offers upwards of $75,000 after graduation.

In Utah, we’re seeing this industry spring to life in our own backyard. Currently there are several coding camps that offer classes all over the Wasatch Front. They all teach different coding languages and give varying levels of training.

Here is a list of the coding campuses you can attend locally:

Coding Campus

They teach the Python coding language and offers two different course levels — a nine-week full-time course or an 18-week part-time course. They offer financial aid and scholarships available. Their campus is located in Provo and they recently opened another location in Cedar City.

DevPoint Labs

They teach the Ruby coding language and offer an 11-week course. They have a location in Salt Lake City. They offer financing options.

DevMounta.in

They teach web development and iOS courses. Their courses are 12 weeks long. They have locations in Provo, and Salt Lake City and recently opened a new location in Ogden.

Provo Web Academy

They teache HTML 5 and JavaScript which are essential for front end development.  They teach people to be web developers instead of coders.  They offer a nine-week course. they have a location in Provo and American Fork.

Many people go to college in order to attain a higher-paying job. Yes, there are those that go for the experience and the education. But for the most part, a college student’s driving force is better employment after graduation. If coding camps are able to offer the same end result, albeit through unconventional ways, then they deserve a longer look by those looking for work.