Companies have pinpointed tech talent shortage as the main reason they have failed to adapt to over 60 percent of emerging technologies since 2020. And the root cause for the talent shortage? Diversity divide, a prevalent problem that remains to be the biggest challenge in the tech industry.
A study by Pew Research Center shows that most students who take up science, tech, engineering, or math (STEM) courses are men, spelling out a gender gap where women only make up 25 percent of the tech workforce. Further widening this divide is the glaring racial gap where Hispanics and Blacks only make up 16 percent of the STEM workforce in the United States.
The lack of workplace diversity is hurting companies more than they realize. According to Builtin, companies with a diverse workforce are 2.3 times more likely to have a higher cash flow per employee and enjoy up to a 19 percent increase in revenue. With various perspectives, skills, and experiences present in the workplace come diverse and creative solutions.
But that’s not all. Having a diverse workforce means creating an inclusive environment with higher engagement among colleagues, resulting in a high retention rate.
As the demand for qualified tech talents grows, companies can no longer conform to the traditional hiring system or wait for university graduates to join the workforce. Now, many companies are casting a wider net for recruitment in previously untapped pools. Among these pools are coding bootcamps like CodeBoxx.
CodeBoxx closes the gender and racial gap through its inclusive program that develops tech talents with a business-first mindset and in-demand core skills.
Apply to CodeBoxx today.What Is CodeBoxx?
CodeBoxx is a coding bootcamp that offers a 16-week program for students who want to break into software development. The bootcamp’s low barrier to entry has welcomed many students with no prior education in tech, including career shifters and dropouts. This increased accessibility also extends to members of historically underrepresented groups in tech, from women and persons with disabilities to racial and ethnic minorities.
All they need is the ability and a strong commitment to enter the tech industry.
Through the rigorous program designed by Nicolas Genest, the founder and CEO of CodeBoxx, the bootcamp has reported a 90 percent placement rate. Thus proving that they can produce well-rounded professionals with the core technical and soft skills sought by leading companies, like eBay, COVEO, and Sneakercon.
CodeBoxx: More than a Coding School
CodeBoxx adopts a hyperlocal approach where they educate and create opportunities for students in their communities.
Take Quebec and Montreal in Canada, for example. CodeBoxx opened campuses in both cities and has been focusing its efforts on reaching out to potential tech talents within these areas. Three years and 150 graduates since its inception, CodeBoxx brings its tried and tested coding bootcamp to the US market.
This US expansion started when Nicolas crossed paths with Meg Charles, a corporate lawyer turned angel investor.
Meg has in-depth experience in the tech industry, having started as a corporate lawyer for telecommunication startup businesses. After several years into the role, she realized that her interest truly lies in shaping businesses from the ground.
Meg eventually joined CodeBoxx as a Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer. This collaboration strengthened CodeBoxx’s mission of making tech education as accessible and inclusive as it can be to any interested learner.
Being an African-American woman, Meg was too familiar with the diversity divide in tech. “As a Black woman in multinational corporations, law firms, living overseas, I saw some of those challenges, and I appreciate the opportunities that I have,” she shared.
“There is no reason that women [and] people of color cannot accelerate—maybe even jump— over the huge gaps that we’re seeing,” she said. “We believe that opportunities and a career [in] technology should be based on potential and not privilege.”
How CodeBoxx Creates an Inclusive Environment
In its effort to create a positive impact, CodeBoxx implements a double bottom line approach as it provides access and accelerates tech education. Its hyperlocal strategy has led the bootcamp to St. Petersburg (St. Pete) in Florida, a town of 250,000 people with a growing community of tech startups.
According to Meg, in addition to the Tampa Bay region’s expanding tech sector, the city and the local government are motivated by the economic development that tech companies like CodeBoxx can bring.
“They’re actively seeking to have other tech companies come. They’re looking for diversification of their tax base, huge populations of young people, and frankly, even older people who are looking to reskill,” Meg added. “For us, those became the key factors that we can look at that really make [St. Pete] an attractive city [to be in].”
St. Pete’s strong desire to improve their economy, affordable cost of living, and a community of career-hungry individuals created an ecosystem that CodeBoxx envisions to develop. Aside from educating people through the bootcamp, CodeBoxx sees potential in how CodeBoxx Solutions can bring positive contributions to the community of St. Pete.
CodeBoxx Solutions is CodeBoxx’s very own digital business solutions unit. It recruits graduates who want to keep honing their skills by letting them work on real-world projects, all while under the supervision and guidance of CodeBoxx’s team of senior developers. This gives companies the chance to test the skills and knowledge of CodeBoxx alumni before hiring them.
“What people have seen is there’s a real opportunity for us to effectively onboard people. They have a lot more detail about the people they hire,” said Meg.
CodeBoxx’s efforts do not stop there. They also partnered with a St. Pete foundation to expand their reach towards the underserved and underrepresented population.
“…[W]hether you’re an older person trying to make a transition, an immigrant …who needs to do your studies in the US or Canada, or a high school or a college dropout [realizing that] traditional post-education doesn’t work for you, that doesn’t mean that you should be left behind. So we’re focusing on how do we capture the people being left behind.”
The bootcamp is also working on partnering with organizations in St. Pete that help people who are single parents, veterans, or victims of intergenerational trauma pave a career path in tech.
Change the Face of Silicon Valley with CodeBoxx
CodeBoxx’s efforts to create a diverse and inclusive tech workforce have attracted like-minded businesses. MadaLuxe, a worldwide luxury fashion distributor, has recently provided $2 million in funding to CodeBoxx to help its mission. Adam Freede, the CEO of MadaLuxe Group, puts his complete trust into the bootcamp as they have hired CodeBoxx graduates to address their tech needs.
And for the women and people of color who want to break into tech, Meg encourages them to persist because it was her persistence that established her to where she is now. She reiterates that CodeBoxx is a lifelong community that will help its students unlock their full potential, so long as they have the persistence, talent, and commitment to succeed.
“Technology is a democratizing force,” Meg says, “If you have the knowledge and skills, you can build things or your startup. Technology allows you to basically become an entrepreneur in your community.”
Hundreds of CodeBoxx graduates started their journey towards tech. According to their recent outcomes report, the average salary of a CodeBoxx graduate is approximately $47,000. Expand your horizon and explore your career opportunities when you join the next cohort of CodeBoxx.
Have questions? You can check out these FAQs about CodeBoxx.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
