Dive Brief:
- Software engineering jobs are expected to increase by more than 18% over the next seven years, nearly triple the rate of the entire labor market.
- Coding bootcamps are offering crash courses in this rapidly growing industry — and at a fraction of the cost attached to an associate's or four-year degree in computer science.
- Skeptics say crash courses in coding do not offer the full range of skills sought by most employers in the industry.
Dive Insight:
Colleges and universities are looking for ways to increase employability outcomes post-graduation. For-profit niche boot camps are selling fast access to marketable skills being sought by growing industries. The opportunities for partnership are endless and can cross a number of disciplines in the higher ed space.
Liberal arts majors can learn coding and programming to create online training, analytics, or data mining models in industries like media, law, and the social sciences. STEM disciplines already make heavy use of programming and coding skills. If the goal is workforce development and offering value for higher education costs, niche schools and degree-granting institutions will need to collaborate for the benefit of the overall economy.