NEW YORK, June 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Virginia Tech Continuing and Professional Education has formed a partnership with Fullstack Academy to offer live, online bootcamps that will help address the tech industry's rapid job growth and increasing skills gap. Targeting early career or experienced professionals, the new part-time, 26-week VT Tech Bootcamp will teach skills to students that qualify them for high-paying, in-demand coding and cybersecurity jobs in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area and beyond.
"The demand for professional education is becoming increasingly more important as individuals upskill, reskill, or seek workforce training that will lead to an expeditious transition into employment," said Shelly Jobst, director of Virginia Tech Continuing and Professional Education. "We are expanding our noncredit program portfolio to help meet the demands for emerging technical skills in Virginia's workforce. With emerging and ever-changing technology, the need for continuous learning is higher than ever and growth of CPE's program portfolio in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area will result in targeted new program opportunities to serve the tech-talent pipeline."
With Virginia and Washington, D.C. hosting an abundance of defense agencies and contractors, the region ranks as one of the largest cybersecurity markets in the country, with nearly 115,000 open positions. Coding professionals are in high demand as well, posting more than 50,000 available jobs, according to Indeed and CyberSeek.
Virginia Tech Continuing and Professional Education, part of Outreach and International Affairs, works with university faculty, governmental organizations, and corporate thought leaders interested in designing programs that transform individuals, organizations, and communities through innovative learning experiences.
"As part of our land-grant mission, Virginia Tech is committed to advancing Virginia's economy in a rapidly changing world," said Susan E. Short, associate vice president for engagement. "This partnership will help meet the commonwealth's increasing need for a highly skilled workforce in the tech-talent pipeline."
Washington, D.C. – which already hosts 53 of the world's 500 fastest-growing companies – and surrounding areas have recently made significant investments in anticipation of Amazon's need for highly skilled employees as the company builds its second headquarters in Arlington.
The VT Cyber Bootcamp will specialize in teaching students how to monitor and secure systems, networks and applications, as well as deploy offensive and defensive tactics needed to appropriately respond to cyberbreaches. In addition, the VT Coding Bootcamp will teach fullstack JavaScript, giving students a foundation in both front- and back-end web development and the crucial programming skills needed for in-demand coding jobs.
Successfully implementing these programs at its own campuses in New York City and Chicago as well as with academic institutions across the country, Fullstack Academy has helped individuals secure jobs with top-tier tech companies in the U.S. Among Fullstack graduates, 79% surveyed say they've been employed in a job requiring the skills learned at bootcamp, with an average salary increase of 49%.
"With policymakers embracing technology disruption and defense agencies constantly seeking more cybersecurity talent, the nation's capital and surrounding markets are a natural fit for our bootcamps," said Nimit Maru, Fullstack Academy co-founder and co-CEO. "Virginia Tech has continuously taken proactive steps to help the area meet the demand for highly skilled tech professionals. We're honored to partner with them to support the region's rapid growth."
Registration for the cyber and coding bootcamps will launch later this year. Individuals can complete an interest form to be notified when applications open.
About Fullstack Academy
Before Fullstack Academy came to life in 2012, co-founders and co-CEOs David Yang and Nimit Maru worked as software engineers and engineering leaders at startups and large and mid-size companies. Over time, they realized that providing a high-quality, immersive coding education at an accelerated pace was not only impactful but also scalable. Fullstack Academy was founded with the idea that coding and software development have the power to positively influence communities and economies. Since then, Fullstack has expanded to Chicago and established the Grace Hopper Program, the first coding bootcamp in NYC to offer deferred tuition and an inclusive and supportive community for women+-identifying applicants. A fast-growing company, Fullstack has developed partnerships with leading universities around the country and has added cybersecurity to its list of specialty bootcamp offerings. Graduates have gone on to work at Google, Facebook, Amazon, various Fortune 100 firms, and countless startups. More details can be found at fullstackacademy.com or at gracehopper.com. Fullstack Academy is part of the Zovio (Nasdaq: ZVO) network.
About Zovio
Zovio (Nasdaq: ZVO) is an education technology services company that partners with higher- education institutions and employers to deliver innovative, personalized solutions to help learners and leaders achieve their aspirations. The Zovio network, which includes Fullstack Academy, TutorMe, and Learn@Forbes, leverages its core strengths and applies its technology and capabilities to priority market needs. Using advanced data and analytics, Zovio identifies the most meaningful ways to enhance the learner experience and deliver strong outcomes for higher education institutions, employers, and learners. Zovio's purpose is to help everyone be in a class of their own. For more information, visit zovio.com.
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing individuals to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Abingdon, Newport News, and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.
SOURCE Fullstack Academy