Pursuing a tech career after a 5 weeks coding bootcamp
How two young Ugandan women chose to pursue a career in software engineering after a 5 weeks coding bootcamp
For Patience Ankunda, it all started with the decision to attend an intensive bootcamp focused on equipping individuals with limited or no experience in software engineering with web development skills in just five weeks.
As a young girl in secondary school, Patience visited Outbox as part of her field trip. It is here that she learnt of an awesome community of technologists willing to share knowledge. When she joined Makerere University to study architecture, she went ahead to attend software developer events at Outbox, during the evenings and weekends. These events discussed technologies like Python and android.
Months later, Patience enrolled for the Outbox EDU Moringa Prep initiative as part of her internship. On graduating from the program, She made a decision to switch courses and join a Computer Science program.
“I really wanted to get more involved into the tech world especially through programming. I used to be the girl who would come up with ideas but not the one to implement them using code. I saw Outbox EDU as an opportunity for me to get hands on into programming”, she says.
The same can be said about Esther Namusisi, a graduate of Telecom Engineering who attended the five week intensive coding program, seeking to start a career in programming. On graduating, she was able to undertake one of the hardest interviews at an organisation called Andela, where she is now working as a software engineer.
Outbox, with support from Moringa School implemented their intensive coding boot camp known as Outbox EDU Moringa Prep in June 2018. Patience and Esther were part of that class. Their success is an indication of what one can achieve if they want to start a career in technology, and are looking for a starting point. Better yet, this boot camp does not one to know how to code, but rather have a deep interest in the subject. You do not even have to be at the University to get started.
According to statistics released by the National Planning Authority in 2017, only 60,000 out of every 700,000 young people who enter the job market every year manage to get jobs. This is not just because of the lack of jobs but also because of lack of market relevant skills.
In order to create more opportunities, as well as bridge the gap between the traditional educational system and the skills currently needed in Uganda’s software engineering industry, Outbox believes that accelerated learning initiatives like Outbox EDU are part of the solution.
Accelerated learning can best be described as an intensive method of study that enables quick learning. It emphasizes a lot on one’s capacity to learn, problem solve and create. Accelerated learning also focuses on industry needs and how learning can enable participants meet those needs.
The Outbox team lead, Richard Zulu, says this programme is aimed at equipping young people who have limited or no digital skills with industry relevant digital skills.
“Outbox EDU seeks to train at-least 200 young people each year so as to grow the local software engineering talent pool in Uganda and make them ready to work as well as link the students to job and entrepreneurship opportunities through industry partnerships,” he says.
Outbox is currently calling for applications for Outbox EDU Prep’s next class. All one needs to enroll for the class is interest in tech, basic computer literacy and a laptop. You do not need to know how to code.
The first 2019 class with run from 4th March to 5th April.
Apply via this link >> https://outbox.co.ug/outbox-edu/prep-two by 28th February
