By Ashley Ciciliano
Online coding bootcamps are now taught at College of Southern Nevada to prepare Las Vegas valley residents, including students, to work in computer programming. Two courses, lasting18 weeks each, cover how to write software like websites or applications.
CSN’s Division of Workforce and Economic Development partnered with Promineo Tech, a coding education provider, to launch the first bootcamps this month. Another round of instruction will begin January 2021, with more courses scheduled throughout the year. The bootcamps are not traditional for-credit courses but graduates will receive a certificate upon completion.
Nick Suwyn, the president of Promineo Tech, says, “We’re excited that we’ve been able to work with CSN to offer two different bootcamp programs (in front-end development and back-end development) each with a tuition of only $3,595. These programs bring affordable education in some of the most in-demand fields directly to Las Vegas.” He adds that any unemployed or underemployed participants may be eligible to receive tuition assistance through One-Stop Career Center, which provides employment services and connects jobseekers to work-related training and education.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developers in Nevada earn an average annual income between $90,000 to $100,000. Nationwide, BLS expects job availability to grow 22% from 2019 to 2029, or much faster than the 4% average expected across all occupations.
“Developers write the software that runs on our devices whether they be computers, cell phones or microchips,” says Dan Pixley, developer at CSN’s Office of Technological Services. “You are always learning and always challenged with new ideas and new problems but it’s also a lucrative job. Software development will be at the forefront of new technology and will be needed to achieve business needs for the foreseeable future.”
Program graduates gain the technical skills foundations needed to work as software developers. The front-end course involves design and software functionality to the end user. It introduces JavaScript, languages like HTML and jQuery and finishes with web app design. Back-end courses cover what runs behind-the-scenes in a program like processing what the user is clicking on or responding to other applications. They’ll cover Java then reactional databases with MySQL and web API design. Classes will combine a once-a-week online class meeting with recorded lessons, weekly assignments and a one-on-one 30-minute tutoring session.
On how the course prepares students for their future jobs, Bootcamp Instructor Danyal Khalid says, “Instructors regularly post interview coding questions and encourage students to participate in solving them. Students gain great insight not only to solutions but how to go about solving these questions. That step-by-step is the key to be successful in technical interviews.”
Lilian Babcock, CSN’s Personal and Professional Development program coordinator, says, “As part of our partnership with Promineo Tech, career services support is provided to those enrolled. If students are interested in reading about the classes and checking out registration dates—we have spring and summer dates up— click on this link https://bit.ly/PPDProgramming.” The site also includes an online assessment and required technical specifications to take these courses.
Coyote Student News at the College of Southern Nevada 