Coding Bootcamps: A Strategy for Youth Employment in Developing Countries

From the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), this digital inclusion research report explores the history of the bootcamp phenomenon, identifies the primary models in operation, reviews how they contribute to the employment path, and considers their potential to improve employment opportunities for women and youth in some countries of the developing world. Coding bootcamps are 3- to 6-month intensive in-person training courses where students learn programming foundations and then practise what they have learned in project-based exercises that aim to simulate the everyday work environment. Students earn relevant hands-on experience, experience the whole product development cycle, and get engaged in teamwork projects. Rather than being designed for existing information and communication technology (ICT) professionals, coding bootcamps are aimed at people with little or no previous experience in coding. It is suggested here that coding bootcamps tackle the apparent gaps in formal education systems by providing an accelerated path for motivated people to develop the coding skills that are in high demand. The report is based on reviews of the websites of 40 bootcamp providers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the United States (US), and Europe, as well as interviews with 22 of these providers and media coverage of the bootcamp phenomenon.

As detailed in Chapter 1 of the report, 4 broad models are found to characterise the coding bootcamp landscape. They are briefly outlined below (see chapter 4 for detailed descriptions):

1. Ready-to-Work model: This is the traditional approach to coding bootcamps - intensive 12- to 24-week, full- or part-time rapid skills training programmes that prepare people to qualify for employment shortly after the training ends.
2. Bootcamp+ model: This is an extended training approach - longer training programmes (1 to 2 years) that equip students with a broader range of sustainable income-generation skills in addition to coding competencies. Found mainly in Africa, they tend to focus on adding entrepreneurship training.
3. Mini Bootcamp model: These are very short-term training programmes ranging in length from two days to one month. They are typically designed to spark interest in learning the basics of programming, to recruit or identify talent, for professionals to update their skills, and for outreach and community building.
4. Early Education model: These are efforts to trigger interest in programming at an early age. This model includes workshops, hackathons, and online platforms as well as more encompassing efforts such as schools integrating coding skills into their curriculum. Although not focused on employability in the short term, the early education model is a trend to monitor.

Chapter 2 elaborates on the state of coding skills shortages in the technology industry and other employment sectors in developed countries as well as globally. For example, the reader learns there that the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that in 2014, 37% (about 75 million) of all unemployed people around the world were young people. In general, unemployment levels have been blamed on reasons such as a shortage of jobs or migration of companies in search of cheap labour. However, in recent years, commentaries about employment have shifted, citing an abundance of open positions and the lack of (mostly technology-related) skills as a major reason these jobs are going unfilled. The skills shortage is projected to persist at least until 2020. Chapter 3 describes the expansion of the coding bootcamp phenomenon from the US and Europe into emerging economies in other parts of the world and the various forms it has taken in these locations; text boxes throughout provide specific illustrations.

The final chapter offers some conclusions and recommendations on the potential of coding bootcamp training to alleviate youth unemployment in developing countries. Some of the considerations to bear in mind when discussing this training model as a strategy to address youth unemployment: coding bootcamps will vary in career outcomes depending on length, training format, and content; bootcamps must be conceptualised with the employment situation of the different types of youth in mind; bootcamp success designed to prepare youth to work in the domestic market often hinges on existence of a strong technology ecosystem; bootcamps are currently mainly found in urban settings; and coding bootcamp training competes with university or self-directed online courses. The report outlines 3 broad areas in which national or international actors can contribute to developments in the bootcamp landscape:

1. Knowledge: Raise awareness about current trends in coding bootcamps and help address the fact that the flexible use of terminology can lead to misconceptions. It is also suggested that there is a more thorough examination of the field by neutral parties. Outstanding questions include: What conditions support the emergence of a coding bootcamp industry? Do coding bootcamps lead to decent work? Who benefits and who is excluded from the opportunities offered by coding bootcamps? Options for advancing knowledge include: Actively monitor developments in the industry; commission in-depth studies of the current coding bootcamp industry, the associated technology ecosystems, and career outcomes; and run experiments with new initiatives.
2. Relationships: The path from coding bootcamp training to some form of employment is highly dependent on the nature of relationships between training providers and employers. One suggestion offered here: Collaborate with intermediary organisations (such as cybercafés, libraries, telecentres, co-working spaces, technology hubs, incubators, and other community-based organisations) that facilitate access to the technological tools needed to participate in the digital economy. Some of these organisations may exist primarily to enhance computer and internet access or to support entrepreneurs, but could also facilitate access to online bootcamp training courses, provide digital literacy or other foundational training to meet prerequisites for acceptance into coding bootcamp programmes, or extend their services to the actual provision of training bootcamps. They could also be avenues for publicising training events and counselling potential students/jobseekers.
3. Implementation: The newness of the bootcamp phenomenon provides an opportunity for some experimentation to test the appropriateness and scalability of coding bootcamp training for youth and women in developing countries. Based on the results, decisions about scaling up and/or sustaining implementation can then be made. Approaches to implementation could include: (i) leveraging existing training structures to design and run experimental coding bootcamp programmes tailored to local contexts. Aspects that could be tested through practice include different approaches or models, different types of public/private sector relationships, and different types of support facilities for bootcamp students. To support stakeholders interested in developing coding bootcamps, ITU has developed a curriculum on coding bootcamp methods, management, and training. (ii) forming alliances with individual or groups of existing coding bootcamp providers to, for example, gain access to training curriculum and approaches to training.

"Addressing high unemployment, especially among youth and women, is a priority in many nations of the world. It is imperative that policymakers and other stakeholders explore every avenue - including emergent opportunities such as the bootcamp model - to mitigate this condition and improve the earning prospects of youth worldwide."