Fewer than 3 percent of college students earn a degree in computer science, even though computing jobs are among the best-paying for new graduates, Fortune reported last year.
To address that gap, the university is partnering with technology talent development company Revature to provide free online and on-site coding training to George Mason University students and recent graduates. The partnership offers George Mason students of all majors high-demand skills that will give them an edge in the job market and professional development that otherwise would cost thousands of dollars. The career jumpstart at the end of the program is a two-year opportunity with top employers such as Accenture, Capital One, Deloitte, Hewlett Packard and Walmart.
The jobs are available, both in the National Capital Region and nationally. The White House last year said that by 2018, 51 percent of all STEM jobs will be in computer science and related fields, and two-thirds of tech jobs will be outside the tech sector. The Northern Virginia Technology Council said software development is the number one occupation with the largest potential shortfalls between the demand and supply of trained workers within the region’s technology sector. More than 60 percent of employers report difficulty finding applicants experienced in programming and software development.
The Mason students who complete the Revature coding “boot camps,” based at the company’s headquarters in nearby Reston, Va., will have an in-demand computer programming skill set to complement their Mason degree. More information is available at revature.com/gmu.
“We hear from recruiters all of the time that the shortage of tech talent is real; there are simply not enough qualified candidates to fill the available jobs,” said Saskia Clay-Rooks, executive director of University Career Services at Mason. “The partnership with Revature is a futuristic move by Mason, and a win-win for both employers and students.”