Laptops4Developers Cohort 3
It’s exactly one week today since we kicked off cohort 3 of #Laptops4Developers bootcamp and we are excited to see the reactions from the latest cohort. The simple tweet back in 2019 has morphed into a full-fledged yearly bootcamp upskilling hundreds of beneficiaries and positioning them for a rewarding career.
The first week has been engaging as much as the weeks before with DevCareer team ensuring the 100 interns onboarded are settled and ready for the next 3months. As the tweets and photos roll in from the interns, we thought to do a little journaling.
The Laptops4Developers bootcamp is a DevCareer initiative with the goal of providing new tech talents with pivotal resources needed to accelerate their growth. We contribute Laptops, Courses, Mentorship and Co-Learning space subscriptions to beneficiaries of the bootcamp. The aim is to help them get a foothold as a beginner and propel them to land a job or two in the nearest future.
In a job survey that was carried out in June of 2021 to determine the impact of the bootcamp on the beneficiaries, we saw 56% of the total respondent returned “YES” to the “are you employed” question. A year before, we concluded cohort 2 of the bootcamp before COVID19 disrupted economic and social balance.
At the heart of the bootcamp is access to a comfortable co-working space fitted with electricity and internet, a functional laptop, premium engineering, and design resources and mentorship. With these key elements in place and twice the number we did in 2020, we said to cohort 3, let’s go 🚀!!
After months of preparation and engagement to create a worthwhile and fun learning experience for 100 interns across 14 co-working hubs in 5 African countries, we are thankful for our sponsors, partners, and mentors for believing in the dream and supporting it.
We have executed the bootcamp since 2019 and every year, we approach the bootcamp with the goal to multiply our impact and reach. We want each cohort to be different from the last. It’s only five days in but, the quality of foundation being laid by the mentors in their respective channels, we are confident about producing solid alumni.
The application for cohort 3 of Laptops4Developers bootcamp went live in May and was met with so much enthusiasm after a gap year in 2021 occasioned by COVID19 restrictions. Our means of publicity was majorly DevCareer’s Twitter and LinkedIn pages. In subsequent cohorts, we intend to deepen our distribution in Ghana, Rwanda, Zambia and Kenya in addition, to expand to more African countries. The application which was live for more than 2 weeks received over 7000 entries across 5 African countries.
The relationship with co-working spaces from previous cohorts were reignited however, the increased number of interns meant new partnerships needed to be formed. Thus, we began liaison with innovative co-working hubs in the countries where DevCareer is present whose mission aligns with us to house the interns for the entire duration of bootcamp.
The application stage quickly gave way to the 2-stage assessment and a physical interview in 8 cities(Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Abeokuta, Accra, Kigali, Kenya) and Zambia, done remotely. The physical interview is a critical point in the selection process, we met and interacted with hundreds of people behind the applications we received to determine a culture fit and ultimately people who will join our talented network of alumni.
In the course of traveling for the interview, 2 of DevCareer team were wrongly apprehended in Ibadan by members of the Nigerian Police Force. As traumatizing as that experience was, we are thankful for securing their release before nightfall on that day. The interview also coincided with the prison break in Abuja. Alot of rescheduling and delayed flights after, we completed the physical interview in July.
With the physical interview out of the way, we entered a selection phase using a systemic grading system to determine an equal balance in the number of female and male applications. We proceeded to map each one to a co-working hub within a reasonable distance from their home. This is important to ease the daily commutes to and from the hub.
Armed with the number of people per hubs, we shipped the laptops from Lagos to Co-creation Hub (CcHUB), 720Degree Innovation Hub, Rumblecube Makerspace, Olotu Square, The RootHub, Opolo Global Innovation, The Nest Innovation Technology Park Ltd, Lagos Innovation Centre, The CANs Park and The Ventures Park while we worked with BongoHive Technology and Innovation Hub, Swahilipot Hub Foundation, Ghana Innovation Hub and Abera Innovation Hub to make laptops available offshore.
Coworking hubs
CcHUB is Nigeria’s first open living lab and pre-incubation space designed to be a multi-functional, multi-purpose space where work to catalyze creative social tech ventures take place. The hub is a place for technologists, social entrepreneurs, government, tech companies, impact investors and hackers in and around Lagos to co-create new solutions to the many social problems in Nigeria. LinkedIn Twitter
Rumblecube Makerspace
Rumblecube Makerspace is a non-profit hackerspace, innovation hub and skill sharing space located in the heart of Ibadan Metropolis whose mission is to provide access to tools and space and support learning to use tools and technology to bring creativity to life. The facility is ideal for community building and development projects, meetups, workshops and seminars with a capacity of 100 people. Twitter
720Degree Hub provides a platform to connect, ideate and collaborate to resident of Abeokuta and its environment.720Degree Hub enables a community of innovators, educators, entrepreneurs, creatives working to create sustainable impacts. LinkedIn Twitter
Olotu Square is a technology innovation hub that provides the resources for techies and businesses to thrive and become successful. Olotu Square has a chain of hubs in Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Warri and Asaba. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook
Swahilipot Hub Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Mombasa that focuses on inspiring and developing upcoming innovative technology ideas and art through networking, technical training, support, professional mentoring and coaching. Twitter LinkedIn
BongoHive Technology & Innovation Hub
BongoHive is Zambia’s first technology and innovation hub. It has evolved to assist scalable startups of any background by enhancing skills, accelerating growth, strengthening networks, increasing collaboration, providing a forum for ideas exchange, and reducing the barriers to entrepreneurship. LinkedIn Twitter
Ghana Innovation Hub helps develop innovative businesses, improve the quality and availability of support services and access to finance in the Ghanaian ecosystem. The hub offers physical working space, as well as business development services, investment matchmaking, and ecosystem support MDF West Africa, BlueSpace Africa and GTUC were set up by the Ghana Innovation Hub towards achieving the goal. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.
The Nest Innovation Hub nurtures and supports innovators and creatives in Nigeria in their journey to building their ideas, fast-growth, and tech-enabled solutions that address social issues by providing opportunities at all stages of development (both existing and early-stage/emerging innovators and creatives) so that they can thrive, grow and scale sustainably. The Nest offers a flexible co-working space, training facility, incubation Centre, business lounge for startups, entrepreneurs, and creatives in Yaba, Lagos. Twitter LinkedIn
Ọpọlọ Global Innovation Ltd is an incubator, accelerator, and innovation platform, for innovators who need infrastructure and support networks to grow, and for investors who need promising start-ups and ideas to invest in. Ọpọlọ enables innovation in the vibrant tech ecosystem through programs that support founders and startups with infrastructure, funding, learning, and networks. Twitter LinkedIn
The Roothub is a platform for ideas to thrive, connected by technology. The Roothub is on a mission to close the digital skills gap through training and capacity development with the goal of placement in in-demand jobs. The hub fosters a sense of community in an innovative space offering co-working, project management, and an idea lab. The Roothub is present in Uyo(HQ), Port Harcourt, Ibadan. Twitter LinkedIn
The “LIC” initiative seeks to tackle the cost of office and community barrier to business entry faced by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and freelancers in Lagos State. Freelancers and SMEs currently facing operational difficulties due to the high cost of office space can now save up to 75% on office space by using a Lagos Innovates hub close to them. Twitter
The Cans is an innovative and creative hub situated in the heart of Abuja. To foster social innovation, radical creativity and ultimately drive development, the CANs partners with institutions, individuals, and private and public organizations. The CANs also offer coworking space for individuals and organizations and paid event spaces to hold meetings and conferences. Twitter
The use of technology in our everyday life is imperative, and its implementation and adoption in relation to policies and programs benefit individuals, ideologies, and societies. With this, the KSH foundation aims at providing enablers in the form of mentorship, technical/intrapersonal assistance, and funding to young Nigerians who are driven to innovation in tech-related fields while helping create products and services with significant impact on development in Nigeria.
Ventures Park is a curated co-working space in a serene environment Abuja where entrepreneurs, freelancers and brilliant minds, who share common attitudes, interests, and goals can express their creativity, collaborate and build their dreams. Ventures Park, provides the modern entrepreneur desk spaces as well as Private Offices equipped with high speed internet, front office services, gym, coffee and artsy finishes. Venture Park online.
Abera Innovation Hub is made up of a system of connections that puts
individuals, firms, startups, incubators, and accelerators together to transform the current landscape bringing ideas to life and making opportunities for growth and excellence. Abera Innovation hub offers a range of acceleration and training programs focused on getting social enterprises ready for investment. Twitter Instagram
Here is to many more #Laptops4Developers in more African cities!
P.S: If you would like to partner with DevCareer to empower more people or contribute as a mentor, reach out at support@devcareer.io
