Hired Partner, Makers: Europe's Original Coding Bootcamp

Makers is Europe’s original coding bootcamp. We spoke with Jaye Hannah, Content and Campaigns Manager at Makers. 

Welcome to the Spotlight, would you mind introducing yourself?

Hi! I’m Jaye and I manage content and campaigns here at Makers. At Makers, we are creating a new generation of tech talent who are skilled and ready for the changing world of work. We are inspired by the idea of discovering and unlocking potential in people for the benefit of 21st century business and society. We believe in alternative ways to learn how to code, how to be ready for work and how to be of value to an organisation. At our core, Makers combines tech education with employment possibilities that transform lives. 

How did Makers come to exist?

Makers is Europe’s original coding bootcamp. The idea for a 12 week intensive course preparing beginners for jobs in the field of software development was born after our Co-Founder, Evgeny Shadchnev struggled to get a job in the tech industry after finishing a degree in Computer Science.

It wasn’t just him – research revealed that the job placement rates for CS degrees were lower than any other degree and that there was a huge shortage of the right sort of software talent. He realised that the content of a CS degree at Uni was theoretical and lacked training in real-world skills like communication and collaboration.

It was this idea that inspired Evgeny to start Makers in 2013 – “an alternative to university and a vocational route into a job as a web developer.” 

Tell us more about the industry trends that Shadchnev (and team) have observed.

Whether businesses are starting up, scaling up, keeping up or just re-inventing themselves, they need highly skilled software engineers and web developers who are proficient in the underlying software development tools and programs – which, themselves, are constantly evolving. 

The software engineer – or developer/coder – role is increasingly attracting people who have started out on another career path but who are drawn to being part of this 21st century tech (r)evolution. 

Coding bootcamps have sprung up to fast track learning how to code but corporations and other organisations value web developers who are not only skilled in coding, but who also have the right aptitude and attitude to hit the ground running within their business operations and ‘fit’ within their organisation. 

We are living in the 4th industrial revolution, an age of automation and artificial intelligence. A period of unprecedented change. Arguably almost any company today is a software company. Software can be used to build anything.

Anyone who knows how to program and code can create a business and/or a ‘career’ that reflects what they want from life. Scale no longer needs to be built, it can be rented as and when needed. These changes are having a profound impact on people and society, from education through career trajectories to workplaces and workforces.

That’s super interesting – thank you for breaking that down for our audience. Can you give us some insight into how Makers has partnered with Hired? 

Back when we were all in person, we had a member of the Hired Candidate Experience Team run monthly workshops with our graduates on interview prep, resume writing, and other career services. Additionally, Hired has assisted Makers in placing over 60 graduates through the Hired marketplace and we have members from our community continue to sign up for Hired every week.

Employers looking to connect with Makers graduates should utilise the keyword search function on Hired to discover Makers candidates.

What initiative is Makers focusing on right now?

Hybrid Delivery. The meaning of the workplace has evolved throughout the pandemic and the extended lockdowns that ensued. As a result, recent research shows that only 16% of people prefer to be in a physical work location full time. Instead, more than eight in ten adults would like to work at home for either part of the week or in full. 

We’ve recently combined the best of both worlds by launching a hybrid course that offers both in-person and remote days. Students will experience a broader range of group projects, and learn the versatile communication skills that employers value highly. For those looking to fully immerse themselves in the world of software development, but wary of digital fatigue, this is the course for you. 

What about the individuals that prefer remote learning?

Don’t worry, our remote course isn’t going anywhere. We’ll alternate cohorts, meaning tech-hopefuls from all over the nation can still get in on the Makers magic — without having to relocate. 

We host regular events for potential students to find out more about Makers, at Q&As, Open Days and Code Accelerators. 

Fantastic. Thanks again for taking the time to chat with Hired, we’re very glad to have Makers as a partner! 

Would you like to learn more about Makers? Check out their page in our Partnership Directory!

Read about a Makers grad, Paula Muldoon, who became a software engineer with the skills from a Makers bootcamp.

Hired is the largest AI-driven marketplace matching ambitious tech and sales talent with the world’s most innovative companies. Backed by global HR leader, The Adecco Group, Hired combines intelligent job matching with unbiased career counseling to help people find a job they love and reach their full potential.

By providing accurate, real-time information, access to equal opportunity, efficiency, and transparency, the Hired platform serves as the backbone for hiring managers, recruiters, and C-level executives to surface the best talent and build amazing, diverse teams around the world.

Hired is committed to building equity in the hiring process through a more representative talent pool, using bias reduction features, customized assessments, and salary bias alerts to help remove unconscious bias when hiring. 

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