Digital Trade School Brings JavaScript Development Accelerator to Midwest Tech Hub
CHICAGO and SEATTLE – March ##, 2015 – Code Fellows, a Seattle-based digital trade school, today announced that it is expanding its operations into Chicago – one of the nation’s fastest growing and most vibrant tech communities – via 1871, Chicago’s entrepreneurial hub for digital startups. Code Fellows will offer its intensive, eight-week Full-Stack JavaScript Development Accelerator course, designed to teach programmers with approximately 2 years of experience in web development how to advance their careers with some of the top tech companies in Chicago. Graduates of the Development Accelerator are guaranteed a job offer within 9 months of completing the course, or Code Fellows will refund the tuition. The first Chicago-based Development Accelerator course will take place May 11 – July 3. Will Little, Co-Founder and CTO of Code Fellows, recently re-located from Seattle to Chicago to oversee the expansion of the digital trade school in this Midwest tech hub.
“The Development Accelerator in Chicago is a unique opportunity for experienced JavaScript developers to get the advanced training they need to further their careers and establish the inroads to new job opportunities with area tech companies,” Little said. “We’re helping students level-up their skills and prepare to excel within high-quality engineering teams. This not only means teaching the technical skills, but also the product, business, and professional skills that are required to succeed in today’s tech companies.”
The Full-Stack JavaScript Development Accelerator goes in-depth into the core competencies of JavaScript, object-oriented programming, and functional programming. Students get hands-on practice in test-driven development, front-end libraries, and frameworks with agile tools and best practices. The first four weeks focus on building back-end web applications with Node.js. During weeks 5-8, students learn to build web apps with AngularJS, a front-end framework created and maintained by Google engineers.
“Chicago is home to some of the most well-known technology companies like Groupon, Orbitz and Cars.com – but it continues to expand and develop, yielding new, lucrative career opportunities to top programming talent,” said Kristin Smith, CEO of Code Fellows. “We hope to play a pivotal role in Chicago’s technology community by fostering the critical development of the area’s brightest programming minds, and helping the city’s most innovative companies connect with them.”
According to Built In Chicago, there are now more than 2,100 digital companies in Chicago – and within the last three years, the number of jobs in technology has nearly doubled. In particular, a recent AngelList study revealed that jobs for people skilled in JavaScript were, far-and-away, the most plentiful as JavaScript is the dominant programming language choice for startups today.
“Code Fellows will serve as an important part of Chicago’s startup ecosystem by cultivating professional programming talent that can sustain the city’s growth as a tech epicenter,” said 1871 CEO Howard A. Tullman. “We’re excited to be a part of the organization’s launch in Chicago, and we look forward to seeing them thrive as part of our tech community.”
Code Fellows – which launched in Seattle in January 2013, then expanded in Portland in September 2014 – has graduated 340 software engineers from its full-time Development Accelerator program with an average starting salary of $75,600 per year. The top reported salary offer for a Code Fellows graduate has been $155,000 per year.
“Chicago is just beginning to mature as a tech center, so the demand for elite talent will only continue to rise,” said Craig Ulliott, CTO & VP of Product for Belly. “JavaScript programmers, particularly those with an advanced understanding of the programming stack, are already difficult to find – so we’re happy to see Code Fellows launching in our back yard.”
Code Fellows will also be hosting two individual Open House events at 1871 on Thursday, March 12th at 6:30 pm CT, and on April 16th at 6:30 pm CT. To learn more, or to apply, visit www.CodeFellows.org.
About Code Fellows
Code Fellows is a Seattle-based digital trade school that guarantees high-paying job offers after successful completion of its Development Accelerators. Their staff, students, and alumni are passionate about helping individuals, communities, and organizations thrive by providing world-class technical education, career coaching, and job placement services. To learn more about Code Fellows, visit www.codefellows.org.
