The local tech job market is rapidly expanding. The dramatic expansion of opportunities has created a significant gap between the high-paying job opportunities available and skilled workers ready to take advantage. One local non-profit, Eleven Fifty Academy, has set its sights on changing that.
Eleven Fifty Academy, located in Fishers, offers immersive learning programs that teach people at all skill levels to embrace the benefits of computer coding. Incoming students range from stay-at-home parents re-entering the job market to high school graduates that have decided a four-year degree is not an option. Programs are fast paced and concentrated on delivering real world experience that local employers are looking for to fill job openings now.
People that want to launch, change or enhance their career can acquire the skills they need quickly without the cost or time commitment needed from a four-year program offered at colleges and universities. An undergraduate degree in computer science takes about four years to complete with costs ranging between $80,000 and $200,000. In contrast, Eleven Fifty Academy’s programs are no longer than 12 weeks and cost less than a semester of a CS degree program. During the program, the students learn coding commands for linux, like the systemctl, and many others related programs.
Eleven Fifty Academy offers more than coding boot camps. Dedicated staff members actively pursue opportunities with Indiana companies for its students. The relationships they have forged with local tech companies pay major dividends for the academy’s students. Currently, student job placement rates are at 86 percent (a number any academic institution would be proud to achieve). Working with employers to identify skill gaps in the market coupled with a highly agile curriculum gives the coding school a significant advantage over larger institutions that have had trouble rapidly adapting to changing markets.
More and more Hoosiers are discovering Eleven Fifty Academy and the fast-track courses they offer to get your coding career started or elevated. Elyse Swoverland is just one example.
Swoverland graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Neuroscience, but in 2015 she decided to change her career and pursue her passion — technology. Swoverland had almost no coding experience before finding out about Eleven Fifty Academy. After completing Eleven Fifty’s 12-week program, it didn’t take long before she got an offer from Sallie Mae, where Swoverland continues her coding career as a senior software engineer.
“When I heard about Eleven Fifty Academy, I thought that it was perfect, and it was exactly what I needed,” Swoverland says. “In addition to more than tripling my salary, I finally feel confident and excited about the path that I’m on. The success that I’ve had in my professional life since graduating from Eleven Fifty Academy has translated to more positives in every area of my life.”
Eleven Fifty Academy attributes much of its success to its core message of “for people, not profit”. This commitment compels the school to seek favorable scenarios for each of its students. Before classes start, the admissions team assists with financial aid opportunities from a variety of partners including the State of Indiana.
During class, the learning team focuses on real world skill development and soft skills needed to thrive in today’s workforce. After the course, the career readiness team leverages its employer relationships to match candidates to employers using a number of highly innovative programs that the academy has developed to facilitate job placement.
“We’re not interested in just teaching the students a new skill in 12 weeks and dropping them into the market,” says Eleven Fifty Academy President John Qualls. “We provide assistance to help them launch and maintain their career.”
Eleven Fifty Academy recently launched the SmartStart Program — a 12-week program that includes a 12-week internship and a 12-month apprenticeship allowing students to be hired quickly while incentivizing employers to choose Eleven Fifty Academy students over other institutions.
With coding continuing to be a fast-growing field, Eleven Fifty Academy is becoming a popular choice to get prepared for an industry that is looking to hire more and more software developers.
“If you like computer games, have taken some online coding courses if you think college may not be right for you, and you want a faster track to a career, take the next step — get a career in coding,” Qualls says.
To learn how to get started, visit Eleven Fifty Academy online at elevenfifty.org or give them a call at 855-925-1150.
