University of Wisconsin Adds Tech Bootcamp as Continuing Ed

closeup of coding on laptop

A Wisconsin university has signed on with an online bootcamp to provide crash courses in in-demand tech skills to address the state's job training needs. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's (UWM) School of Continuing Education is working with coding school Thinkful on the initiative.

The Thinkful program delivered through the university promises to convert beginners to "job-ready" in six months. Topics will cover web development fundamentals, web apps, server-side programming with Node.js, React development, and data structures and algorithms. It costs $10,500.

The average yearly salary increase for students who complete the program is just over $19,000, according to the company. Thinkful said 84 percent of its students get hired within six months. It offers a job guarantee: Those who aren't offered a qualifying position within six months of graduation are eligible for a 100 percent tuition refund. The service also includes six months of career coaching.

A unique aspect of the bootcamp's approach is the use of mentoring. Each week, students meet via Slack or e-mail with an "industry veteran" for "pair programming," where they write and review their software code and talk about course topics and projects in progress.

"This partnership is well suited with the school's goal of meeting regional workforce needs," said Nancy Nelson, provost's deputy for continuing education at UWM, in a statement. "This course provides participants with the skills necessary for high-growth careers in web development while also meeting the rapidly changing technology needs of industry."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  •  laptop on a clean desk with digital padlock icon on the screen

    Study: Data Privacy a Top Concern as Orgs Scale Up AI Agents

    As organizations race to integrate AI agents into their cloud operations and business workflows, they face a crucial reality: while enthusiasm is high, major adoption barriers remain, according to a new Cloudera report. Chief among them is the challenge of safeguarding sensitive data.

  • flowing lines and geometric shapes representing data flow and analysis

    Complete College America Launches Center to Boost Data-Driven Student Success Strategies

    National nonprofit Complete College America (CCA) recently launched the Center for Leadership, Institutional Metrics, and Best Practices (CLIMB), with the goal of helping higher education institutions use data-driven strategies to improve student outcomes.

  • cybersecurity analyst in a modern operations center monitors multiple digital screens showing padlock icons, graphs, and a global map with security markers

    Louisiana State University Doubles Down on Larger Student-Run SOC

    In an effort to provide students with increased access to real-world cybersecurity experience, Louisiana State University has expanded its relationship with cybersecurity solutions provider TekStream to launch TigerSOC, a new student-run security operations center.

  •  floating digital interface with glowing icons, surrounded by faint geometric shapes

    Digital Education Council Defines 5 Dimensions of AI Literacy

    A recent report from the Digital Education Council, a global community devoted to "revolutionizing the world of education and work through technology and collaboration," provides an AI literacy framework to help higher education institutions equip their constituents with foundational AI competencies.