2 Solutions to Demand for Tech Skills: Coding Bootcamps and Computer Science Education Starting in Elementary Schools

LinkedIn Official Blog:

Technical talent is in high demand. As of publishing this post, a LinkedIn job search for “Software Engineers” in the US reveals more than 100,000 open jobs. Adding a couple more tech-related roles (“User Designer,” “Data Scientist”) increases the total to more than 200,000 job openings. Job seekers looking to meet job requirements can enroll in a Master’s degree program, but that comes with a 2-year opportunity cost. Now, a shorter path is emerging: fully immersive coding bootcamps.

Coding bootcamps typically last 6-12 weeks and require participants to show up to a class in person. Bootcamps are a relatively new model, but they’re a growing trend that could help close the skills gap. Tapping into the Economic Graph, we compiled aggregated data on over 150 bootcamp programs and more than 25,000 LinkedIn members who have indicated they are attending or have attended bootcamps to identify emerging trends.

In 2011, fewer than one hundred LinkedIn members indicated they had graduated from bootcamp programs. In 2014, more than 8,000 members completed coding bootcamps and added them to their profiles, reflecting a rise in acceptance of the bootcamp model. The number of bootcamp graduates in the first six months of 2015 has nearly surpassed all of 2014. At this rate, we can expect to see more than 16,000 graduates by the end of 2015 — more than double the total number of 2014 graduates.

An Open Letter from the Nation’s Tech and Business Leaders: Why Computer Science for All is good for all

Yesterday morning, Mayor Bill de Blasio took to the stage to announce the nation’s most ambitious and far-reaching technology education effort to date: New York City will deliver computer science education to every student in each of the City’s public elementary, middle, and high schools by 2025 through its new Computer Science for All initiative.

The impact of this investment cannot be overstated.

One in five New York City businesses employs tech talent, fueling the growth of a tech sector that today represents nearly 300,000 jobs and $30 billion in annual wages. Between 2007 and 2014, tech employment in the City grew 57 percent, nearly six times faster than overall citywide employment. And by the year 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor projects there to be more than 1.4 million computer specialist job openings nationwide.