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Launchcode Review

Launchcode Miami offers students free tuition to get job-ready coding skills. Launchcode is committed to matching its students with employers in order to complete career-changing apprenticeships which, in the majority of cases, lead to permanent employment.

Founded in 2013, Launchcode’s mission has been to help those from underrepresented backgrounds start a career in tech, and, in turn, to assist tech businesses in finding skilled employees from a range of backgrounds and with a variety of unique talents.

LaunchCode’s ethos is to ensure that everyone, regardless of background, has access to learning the skills to start a career in the tech industry and to support them in their professional aspirations.

To apply for a place on a Launchcode course, first, go to their website and complete the 10 Second Assessments to get started. This will supply you with an initial list of options that suit your circumstances.

The first part of the application process for a place on a course takes about 1-2 hours and is made up of a questionnaire regarding your demographic details (such as an address, date of birth, etc) and any previous computing experience you may have, followed by problem-solving tasks designed to assess your suitability for the course and the intensive nature of some of the programs.

Next is the interview stage. This lasts about an hour, and can be held either online or in-person; the purpose of the interview is to discover more about you, your motivations, and career goals, in order to determine both suitability for a Launchpad course and to determine the best program for each individual student.

Finally, there is a pre-work element to complete. Prospective students will be asked to undertake pre-work totaling about 10-12 hours in order to assess a prospective attendee’s ability to self-learn and their aptitude for the general course content.

If all stages are passed satisfactorily, then the applicant will receive an invitation to take up a place on a course.

As part of some courses, students will be matched with an employee in order to apply for an apprenticeship. A three-stage assessment process forms part of this application process. The first is the completion of an online application form. Next, candidates are asked to tackle an online coding puzzle, and following this is an interview. 

Table of Contents

Launchcode Courses

Launchcode Miami offers a number of different training opportunities, all free of charge, as detailed below:

LC101

Course Description:

No experience is required for this course, which enables students to become proficient in full-stack skills, setting learners on the right track for a career in the tech industry. This intensive coding program includes programming components, front-end programming, and web application development. The focus is on providing students with highly employable skills – graduates should leave with all the knowledge required to begin their new careers.

Classes meet twice a week, for three hourly sessions, and students can expect to spend 10-15 hours a week on the study at home, including the completion of assignments, reading, and watching set videos.

No prior programming knowledge or experience is required for this course, although an aptitude for maths and problem solving may be advantageous. The program is made up of multiple units; each unit must be completed satisfactorily in order for the student to move on to the next unit of study.

Subjects:

Javascript, C#

Jobs:

N/A

Process:

  1. Application,
  2. Assasement,
  3. Pre-Work,
  4. Enrollment

Women+ Bootcamp

Course Description:

This program is designed to encourage and support women into a career in the tech industry, a sector in which females are currently underrepresented – the course welcomes all self-identifying women and non-binary people. The aim of the program is to help women into employment in tech roles, and mentoring forms an important part of the course curriculum. Classes are held once a week and last for three hours. Outside of the classroom, students will need to spend about 15 hours a week undertaking home study.

Access to a laptop is required for this course. In order to successfully apply for a place on this program, prospective learners must demonstrate problem-solving and logical reasoning skills, as well as an interest in the technical elements of the curriculum. Candidates must also be seeking a career in the tech industry, and have a genuine interest in the inclusive, dynamic environment of the CoverGirl classroom.

Classes meet twice a week, for three hourly sessions, and students can expect to spend 10-15 hours a week on the study at home, including the completion of assignments, reading, and watching set videos.

No prior programming knowledge or experience is required for this course, although an aptitude for maths and problem solving may be advantageous. The program is made up of multiple units; each unit must be completed satisfactorily in order for the student to move on to the next unit of study.

Subjects:

Javascript, C#, SQL, Web Development

Jobs:

N/A

Locations:

Saint Louis, Kansas City, Philadelphia

Process:

  1. Application,
  2. Assasement,
  3. Pre-Work,
  4. Enrollment

Codecamp

Course Description:

This immersive program teaches participants the skills that employers are looking for, fast. The focus is on hands-on learning, and by the end of the course, students will be ready to begin Launchcode’s apprenticeship program. CodeCamp is a 14 week, challenging full-time course.

Students are required to fully commit to this course, and to attend all sessions. In terms of assessing candidate suitability, Launchpad staff will consider the application questions and essay submitted, as well as each learner’s, stated aims and motivations for wanting to attend the program, as well as any financial or other need that may be present. 

Regular assessments form a key part of CodeCamp, and each is graded – a pass is required to move forward through the program.

Subjects:

Javascript, C#, Spring Boot, Web Development

Jobs:

N/A

Locations:

Saint Louis, Kansas City, Philadelphia

Process:

  1. Application,
  2. Assasement,
  3. Pre-Work,
  4. Enrollment

Apprenticeship Program

Description:

graduates from Launchcode’s Codecamp are automatically eligible to enroll in the apprenticeship program. Non-graduates who have the necessary skills and are employment-ready are also welcome to apply for this program without needing to complete a prior course with Launchcode. Full career support, advice, and guidance will be given to each participant, in order to match them with the most suitable employer. 

In order to access the Apprenticeship Program, graduates will be required to spend approximately 150 extra hours of work on a self-directed coding project – this may take an additional 8 weeks following graduation from a Launchcode course. Once this has been completed, if a student is deemed to be employment-ready, then they will be matched with an employer in order to start an apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships are full-time (40 hours a week), paid roles, in which Launchcode graduates are paired with a mentor to support them in their new role.

Students are required to fully commit to this course, and to attend all sessions. In terms of assessing candidate suitability, Launchpad staff will consider the application questions and essay submitted, as well as each learner’s, stated aims and motivations for wanting to attend the program, as well as any financial or other need that may be present. 

Regular assessments form a key part of CodeCamp, and each is graded – a pass is required to move forward through the program.

A Launchcode apprentice salary will vary depending on the role.  As an example, Launchcode recently ran a Mainframe Training apprenticeship course, which paid participants $20 an hour for a 20-week program.

Many candidates ask whether they are qualified for an apprenticeship placement. The answer to this is variable, as it largely depends on the nature of the apprenticeship being applied for. 

For those looking for an apprenticeship in programming, basic coding or language skills are required, as is an understanding of basic control functions. For apprenticeships in business intelligence, working knowledge of a query or database language is a prerequisite, as is a familiarity with at least one scripting language – proficiency in maths and statistics is also required.

The locations of apprenticeship roles are Saint Louis, Kansas City, Philadelphia, and the surrounding areas.

Apprenticeships usually last in the region of three months, although it is not unusual for apprentices to be converted to permanent contracts within a few weeks of an employee starting work at a company. In the event that the company does not offer the apprentice a permanent role, Launchcode will help this apprentice secure alternative employment.

Subjects:

N/A

Jobs:

N/A

Locations:

Saint Louis, Kansas City, Philadelphia

Process:

N/A

Outcomes

Launchcode graduates regularly work as apprentices in roles including Software Developer, Data Scientist, IT Project Manager, and Mobile Developer.

Companies hiring Launchcode graduates include Balto, Mastercard, Express Scripts, Boeing, and Spectrum. Launchpad has links with many hiring partners, in order to best match graduates in terms of their skill sets and chosen career paths.

Launchcode reviews are generally very positive regarding the career support and apprenticeship elements of the programs, with numerous testaments to the fact that Launchpad is highly effective at supporting graduates into employment in the tech industry.

The classroom environment is frequently described as welcoming and inclusive, and the course content reviewed as being challenging but exhaustive, and an excellent means to equip students with the skills needed in real-world job placement.

Some reviews suggest that Launchcode’s syllabus could be somewhat updated and that the level of in-class support from tutors could be improved.

Reviews

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FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

Launchcode offers free training for students in order to support them to get into jobs within the tech industry. More than 80% of Launchcode apprentices stay with the company they were apprenticed with as permanent employees, and the average Launchcode graduate’s salary is twice as much as before they completed their program. 

Added to these statistics, Launchcode has over 500 hiring partners, meaning that a graduate has an excellent opportunity of being placed with an employer that perfectly matches their skill-set, career aims, and personality.

Launchpad offers prospective learners and applicants the opportunity to study without incurring tuition fees and to match them with employers at the end of their program. For those interested in a career in tech, but who may not have the financial capacity to fund a course of study, then Launchcode could be an extremely valuable springboard into employment in this industry.

Companies hiring Launchcode graduates include Balto, Mastercard, Express Scripts, Boeing, and Spectrum. Launchpad has links with many hiring partners, in order to best match graduates in terms of their skill sets and chosen career paths.

Launchcode offers three courses: LC101, Women+ Bootcamp, and CodeCamp

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