Abstract
ITU has launched its Digital Inclusion report, Coding bootcamps: A strategy for youth employment in developing countries. As the demand for tech talent continues to grow and businesses in many countries struggle to find qualified workers with programming skills, young people with non-technical backgrounds often have to look beyond the walls of a traditional classroom and a four-year degree to gain these skills at a faster pace. This has become easier to do as a variety of alternative learning spaces and opportunities are emerging to meet that need. Coding bootcamps are the newest addition to the marketplace of spaces for learning how to code. Bootcamps gather young aspiring software developers to join intensive three-to-six-month training programs where they learn the foundations of programming. Students earn relevant hands-on experience, experience the whole product development cycle and get engaged in teamwork projects. Based on reviews of the websites of 40 bootcamp providers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the United States, and Europe; interviews with 22 of these providers; and media coverage of the bootcamp phenomenon, this latest ITU report explores the history of the bootcamp phenomenon, identifies the primary models in operation, reviews how they contribute to the employment path, and considers their potential to improve employment opportunities for women and youth in some countries of the developing world.
While this is an ITU publication, it was written by Maria Garrido and Araba Sey of the Technology & Social Change Group.
