Wrapping Up BoiseCodeWorks’ First Ever Web Dev Cohort, and Looking Forward

November 12th was a great day for us at BoiseCodeWorks. That Thursday evening saw the final class period of our first cohort of web development students, and it was a decidedly joyful occasion for the whole crew. There may have been a hint of bittersweetness, as we had to say goodbye to an amazing group of twenty students, many of whom had formed strong bonds (both with us and among themselves) over the previous twelve weeks. But despite the seemingly abrupt end to the routine of immersing themselves in new software tools and technologies, everyone seemed to leave with a smile on their face. For many of our students, that routine has only just started, and it will continue both at work and during off-hours, while they build on their new skills, grow their careers and develop their own passion projects.

Looking forward, we can say with confidence that this group has a bright future. This first cohort was particularly diverse in both age and background, and their goals for the cohort were similarly varied — some students were curious hobbyists, others ambitious career-changers, and some wanted to increase their effectiveness at a job they already enjoyed by learning the latest frameworks and methodologies.

Already, many of the career-changers have found meaningful work. The image above, taken from Course Report’s most recent analysis of code schools and their grads, indicates that it typically take a couple of months, at least, before grads find jobs. In our case, many BCW students had found work or internships before or within a week of graduation, at everything from established enterprises to exciting tech startups.

The demand for software developers in Boise is strong. On top of our own initiatives to build relationships with employers, we are frequently contacted by local businesses looking to interview graduates.

All told, these past few months have been more rewarding for us at BoiseCodeWorks than we could have expected. We’ll be the first to admit that fine-tuning the operations of a code school is a process, but we’ve worked around the clock to make BoiseCodeWorks as effective as possible, and we will continue to do so. We are also immensely happy with the student outcomes we’ve seen. Our students have built great apps, and many have found great jobs. Most importantly, they are excited to continue learning and building.

We’ll wrap up this group’s cohort with our first Demo Night, which will take place on the evening of Saturday, December 12th. Our grads will be presenting their projects, and anyone (including employers) can come see what they’ve built and talk shop with our students. The event is open to the public, and all are welcome. We’re currently accepting RSVPs, and more details will be coming soon.

Moving forward, we can hardly wait until our next cohorts start on January 4th. Based on the enthusiasm of our early registrants, it seems our anticipation is shared.