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Learn to Code in Vancouver

SimonSimon
edited February 2014 in General
GEYh0Xn.pngHey guys, just wanted to let you guys know about a new program being offered in Vancouver for anyone interested in Web Development. I'm currently enrolled in the program to further my web development skills. It's a 8 Week course with 1 month of prep work and it's a great opportunity for anyone who has been thinking of Web Development as a career. Vancouver is a great place to be for technology right now, as companies like Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter all have offices here. If your interested in technology, web design, or web development, Lighthouse Labs is the best place to learn to code in Vancouver.

If you're like me, you probably see a lot of job openings online for people with web development skills and for obvious reasons! In the past 5-10 years the internet has become a disruptive force across all sorts of industries. As Marc Andreesen said, Software is Eating The World. What he meant by this is that software is changing the way we do business. As a web designer for the past several years, I've seen this first hand. I've built websites for a lot of different businesses over the years, and the importance of having a good website has continued to increase.

With that said, I think 2014 is the ideal time to learn some coding skills and explore the opportunities that are out there. In my opinion, Lighthouse Labs is an awesome program run by some very talented people. Not only will they teach you to code *from scratch* but they will also connect you with companies in Vancouver that are hiring. That's pretty impressive for 8 weeks! If you have an interest in web design, I'd recommend taking the summer semester off and doing the Lighthouse Labs course in Gastown. It's something that I believe will open a lot of doors for you if you want to work in Vancouver's fun and dynamic tech scene.

Check out there website for more information about the program: Learn to Code in Vancouver

Leave a comment below if you have any questions!

Comments

  • Flash
    You forgot to add something important. The cost
  • SimonSimon
    I like to think it's priceless ;)

    .. the actual cost is $7000 + GST
  • ryan
    Personally I am rather skeptical of "coding boot camps". There are a whole bunch of them down here in the states based in places like San Francisco and New York and with new ones popping up all the time I guess it was just a matter of time before one arrived in Vancouver. At least this one isn't implying that graduates will get a job immediately following the course making six figures.

    In general though HTML/CSS/JavaScript already has a very low barrier to entry with all of the free resources online. Rails is similar all though I would argue it requires a little more experience. 7k though is rather steep. 

    If anyone is still in school and considering switching to tech I think they would be better off just taking courses at SFU. CMPT 470 for instance would essentially be a crash course in many of the topics Lighthouse would cover. As well anyone could do CMPT 165 and come out of it with solid HTML/CSS knowledge. From there they could look into courses like CMPT 474 and likely gain a lot of the same knowledge for a lot less money.

    I can see the potential value in a program like Lighthouse, but I would argue that it is not for the majority of people.
  • Flash
    7000 is far from even worth it. If you want solid skills just do a couple BCIT courses and it will probably give you a lot more indepth view and a lot cheaper than 7000.

    And as ryan said, web dev is pretty much at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to employment and salary. You will most likely have to work freelance, and really if you are very serious about it, there is tons of information for free online

    But its up to anyone decision if this is really worth it.
  • SimonSimon
    Check out this blog post that a recent Lighthouse Labs graduate wrote about his experience with the program, it's pretty much the exact situation I was in! 


    I just finished my first week and I couldn't be happier. It's challenging, fun, and I've already met so many cool people that work in the industry (ie. mentors). Highly recommend this program if you are into web design, technology and/or the internet.

    Let me know if you guys have any other questions, I'll try to post my progress here to keep you guys in the loop.

    First week we spent learning about github and ruby programming (used to make apps). This week is all about object oriented programming.. I'm shocked at how much we were able to learn and retain in the first week, it's a very well structured program. 
  • noel2013noel2013
    edited March 2014
    Sorry for irrelevant comment. But for some reason I cant start a new discussion whenever i try to post sth, it says "body is required" in red at the top. Does anyone know whats going on? Even when I am writing comment, it failed like 3 times before I can write this (it may fail this time too) and that I have to click sth at the top to make the box yellow then I can post. Anybody know how I can fix this problem?
  • ryan
    I have had those problems before. I get the yellow box whenever I post from a mobile device. The no body error seems to be a browser compatibility bug. While it is not an optimal solution try using a different web browser.
  • SimonSimon
    Not sure why that might be.. I'm planning on upgrading the forum software sometime this month so that problem will likely go away. Sorry if it's making it difficult to post!
  • MXC
    Ouch 7k is alot... :/

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