Revature, a technology solutions firm based in Virginia, will be partnering with CUNY to bring a free, 12-week programming boot camp and RevaturePro, a custom online training course, to interested alumni.
The boot camp will launch at Queens College on November 14 by the School of Professional Studies. The general CUNY start date will be in January 2017.
The partnership is projected to create over 2,000 jobs in New York over the next five years.
Upon successful completion of the boot camp, Revature will offer alumni full-time positions at the company. Along with the boot camp, Revature is offering a weekly living allowance and professional certification paid by the company.
Ann Kirscher, Special Advisor to the Chancellor in Strategic Partnerships for CUNY, took up this initiative.
“What inspired the program was the recognition that there’s a skills gap between computer science curricula and the needs of technology businesses. For many alumni around the country, this gap is filled by immersive boot camps—and they are often $10,000 and up. We were looking for a high quality, affordable option for CUNY alumni,” Kirscher said. “Revature’s model offered just that—a high-quality and free alternative. Revature also offered guaranteed employment to alumni who finish the boot camp plus a free online, self-paced course for alumni who may not yet have the background for the boot camp.”
Muhammad T. Vali, a QC computer science senior, is optimistic about the partnership.
“Revature, like the CUNY Tech Talent Pipeline program, is a good wake up call for academia and computer science students. It symbolizes the need to lessen the widening gap between university and the corporate world. We need more direct involvement from technology firms to empower computer science students at Queens College,” Vali said.
“For computer science students, programs like these create more awareness of the skills needed to be ready for the real world. A standalone computer science degree won’t land you a well-paid job at a top software firm. Computer science is a demanding field with increasing numbers of graduates each year. What makes you ‘stand out’ from the crowd isn’t just your GPA, but how you’ve used your knowledge to solve real-world program. That’s what employers care about,” Vali continued.
Steve Wojsnis, a QC computer science senior, is also excited about the partnership and its potential to bridge a gap between academia and the “real world.”
“The partnership will be a great way to have alumni bridge any gaps in knowledge that they may have. It’s a great opportunity, and many of my classmates are excited about it” Wojsnis said.
Victor Singh, a QC computer science junior, thinks that one of the assets of the partnership is that it opens doors to the otherwise non-technically savvy.
“I think it’s a great way for non-technical students to discover coding and what it means to create software,” Singh said.
The application deadline for the Queens College boot camp is November 7.
To get more information about the boot camp and online option, visit: revature.com/cuny
