What’s behind the sudden surge in apprentice programs, and what makes tech a great fit?
Tech Jobs Are a Great Opportunity Right Now
Tech jobs are growing at twice the rate of any other jobs right now. Every company needs a techie or three nowadays. And the pay is great, too: Computing jobs are the number one source of wage growth in the U.S., letting those without experience start at $50K and those with 3-5 years jump up to over $100K. I’ve even confirmed the demand for tech jobs personally: In Tech.Co’s interview with Indeed.com SVP Raj Mukherjee. Thanks to the do-it-yourself ethos of the tech community, these positions aren’t impossible to land even for someone without a college degree.
Coding Is a Trade Job
Programming students who work hard get rewarded with jobs due to their experience rather than their degree. As Treehouse CEO Ryan Carson puts it: Treehouse’s Techdegree program aims to take anyone from zero to tech-job ready in six months. By treating coding like a trade job, employers and employees can better address supply and demand for tech positions without several years and thousands of dollars spent on a degree in the meantime. And it can’t come too soon: Thanks to eminent losses in the middle class’s job market (truck drivers will soon be replaced with self-driving delivery trucks, for instance), the need to find a stable position will only increase. Apprenticeships won’t single-handedly boost the U.S. economy. But they’re definitely a step in the correct direction, and a useful shot in the arm for any job seekers willing and able to learn coding.
