Teens are going coding crazy because everyone wants to work in tech when they grow up now
We all know that the job market can be cutthroat, and these days young people are doing whatever it takes to get a leg up on the competition. But this new (and very expensive) trend is how young people are getting ahead in the digital age. Teens are gradating in droves from computer coding schools and programming boot camps. These intensive programs teach students to build their own websites and design mobile apps, all in a few months. Young adults are using these programs to secure jobs in the booming tech industry, but this fast track to employment will cost you a pretty penny. Boot camp tuition can cost up to $21,000!
But high tuition does not seem to be affecting enrollment. According to the website Course Report, the number of students graduating from these programs has skyrocketed in just one year. In 2014, roughly 7,000 students were completing coding boot camps. But in 2015, that number has jumped to over 16,000. Students say the intense and difficult programs are worth the investment. The tech industry is one of the few booming industries in today’s economic climate, and young people are desperate to get their foot in the door. Students are more than willing to pay boot camp tuition if the next step is $65,000 starting salary. Another interesting part about these programs? You don’t actually get a diploma or a certificate of completion when you graduate. Your reward is the programs you coded and created during the program.
Coding school students are being rapidly employed after graduation, and these could signal a whole new trend in education. Since graduates of prestigious four-year universities are now coughing up the cash for coding school, does that mean college is no longer enough? Will teens now have to graduate from high school, college, AND an expensive coding program before they can even think about making it big in Silicon Valley?
