Washington state now has 13 coding boot camps.
Accelerated courses meant to train new software developers are gaining popularity across the U.S.
So-called “coding boot camps” are expected to graduate nearly 18,000 people during 2016, according to an annual study from Course Report. That’s a big jump from the 10,333 people who graduated in 2015.
Coding programs have spread across the U.S. and Canada — the report found 91 boot camps in the two nations, including in 69 U.S. cities and 34 states.
The Puget Sound region has several of its own, including Coding Dojo in Bellevue, Code Fellows and Ada Developers Academy in Seattle, and Level Bootcamp out of Northeastern University’s Seattle campus. Course Report found Washington state has 13 programs.
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The accelerated programs have gained popularity as more tech jobs are created, making the positions not only lucrative but easily accessible for those with coding chops.
Tech companies in Seattle are constantly struggling to hire enough qualified technical talent, and many businesses in the region are sponsoring boot-camp programs and offering internships to students.
Most boot camps last about 13 weeks, the Course Report study found, and cost more than $11,000. Many programs are giving students the option to withhold payment until they find a job after graduation, then pay back a percentage of their first year’s salary.
The city of Seattle joined President Obama’s TechHire program in March as part of a push to get more people working in tech jobs through college and nontraditional training courses.