Deep Dive: How Tech Talent South Produces Qualified Developers and Data Scientists

Innovators are problem-solvers by nature, so it is no surprise that people with forward-thinking tendencies usually pursue careers in progressive industries like technology. Due to the constant changes in the industry, employees and tech professionals need to be equipped to bring about innovative products and services. 

The skills that the industry demands make tech careers attractive to and suitable for problem-solvers. However, it is not always so easy to break into the industry. Tech firms are aware of this and so are forward-thinking education providers like Tech Talent South (TTS).

What Is Tech Talent South?

Tech Talent South (TTS) is a woman-owned company that originally focused on immersive technical training. After building a robust reputation as a top-tier coding bootcamp, TTS naturally attracted the attention of tech companies wanting to fill roles with qualified candidates. 

Speaking about the program, Mary Lachapelle, the Vice President of Growth at TTS, notes: “We grew to have a strong presence in 12 cities across seven states, gaining national and international recognition as a top-tier coding bootcamp. With a people-centered approach, TTS became a catalyst for workforce development and contributed to the growth of emerging tech hubs as far west as Phoenix, AZ and as far north as Hartford, CT.” 

Currently, the TTS talent network has greatly expanded and it now spans 48 states.

Tech Talent South’s Programs

Tech Talent South offers foundational and advanced programs in web development and data science. Their live, instructor-led classes are currently held remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To cater to differing availability and learning styles, Tech Talent South gives students the option to learn full-time or part-time.

1. Foundational Code Immersion

• Program Length: 10 weeks for both part-time and full-time schedules 

Equip yourself with the skills needed to proficiently navigate the tools and technologies used by today’s backend and frontend developers. Learn how to use Java programming and other tools and technologies such as HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, Git, GitHub, Command Line (Windows), Terminal (OS), JavaScript, React, SQL, Firebase, REST, JSON, API, and Spring. At the end of this course, you should be able to build better websites and applications that you can share with the world.

2. Foundational Data Science

• Program Length: Eight weeks; both part-time and full-time schedules

This course will teach you how to handle data through its entire process of gathering, measurement, pattern identification, and testing. Learn how to use Python to work with large data sets. Get exposed to data manipulation techniques, working in the cloud, visualization tools, fundamentals of object-oriented programming (OOP), and system architectures. You will also have the opportunity to complete data science projects that you can add to your portfolio.

3. Advanced Code Immersion

• Program Length: 10 weeks; part-time schedule only 

Familiarize yourself with a roadmap that allows you to manage your web applications. You will be exposed to Java Applications Development and be able to learn full-stack Spring-based Java development using the Spring Tools for Eclipse.

Acquire skills in Redux, React, Angular, Hibernate, TDD, JUnit, Microservices, Docker, Java, SQL, Swagger, Object-Oriented Programming, and more.

4. Advanced Data Science

• Program Length: Eight weeks; part-time schedule

Get equipped with the most in-demand data analytics skills, techniques, and tools that data scientists use. Learn how to use R, Python, Hadoop, Spark, Github, and SQL as well as popular and useful R and Python packages like Tibbles, scikit-learn, and more. You will also have the opportunity to work on real-world data problems and build your portfolio.

Tech Talent South Tuition

Tech Talent South believes that the cost of your training is not something you have to let overwhelm you. A TTS Talent Success Advisor will help you find a payment plan that works with your life and goals. They will help you fit the training into a budget that you can manage.

“We create a payment plan that fits [the student’s budget]. Our team gets as creative as possible here to make sure that finances (or lack thereof) won’t prevent interested students from enrolling. We really work to be as accommodating as possible,” assures Lachapelle.

Students benefit from scholarships, payment plans, ISAs, and private loan options through approved lending partners. The TTS staff is there to help through this process.

The Tech Talent South Difference

There are many programs and bootcamps out there, and Tech Talent South has differentiated itself in several ways over the years.

Tech Talent South’s Built-In Talent Pipeline

In any industry, graduates may find it difficult to transition from student to employee. The entire process involves not only learning the required skills successfully but also knowing how to attract employers, self-promote, craft resumes, and ace interviews. Tech Talent South supports students throughout this entire process. 

Since TTS already has partnerships with leading tech companies and their executives, it helps increase students’ visibility and helps position them for success when they actually transition. 

Lachapelle notes: “Somewhere along the way, Betsy, our founder, realized that she had unintentionally built a powerful digital recruiting machine. TTS had the untapped potential to provide opportunities for our candidates’ career advancement by working directly with companies to meet their tech talent needs.”

The realization turned out to not only be a huge benefit to learners but also to the business. “We made a significant pivot from a B2C to a B2B model, providing companies across the country—ranging in size from startups and SMBs to global consultancies and Fortune 500s—with access to an incredibly diverse pool of technical and tech-adjacent talent.”

The pivot means that learners can also look forward to accessing a client-informed curriculum and training methodology. “Today, we are disrupting the traditional model of recruiting by building sustainable talent pipelines that map to the specific needs of our partners,” says Lachapelle.

Tech Talent South’s Inclusive Learning Environment

One of Tech Talent South’s differentiators is its emphasis on diversity and inclusivity of non-traditional candidates, with over 75 percent of their talent network identifying as women or BIPOC.

TTS also aims to help diversify the tech industry by attracting learners who have never had any educational or professional experience in tech. This aspect of inclusivity is particularly attractive because of the current state of the economy. Because of the pandemic, many individuals are looking to pivot their careers and the tech industry presents one of the most viable options.

Another thing that TTS feels passionately about is attracting learners from underrepresented demographics in the tech industry. The idea is that an industry with workers who look like and come from the same backgrounds as the people they design products and services for will design better and more user-friendly services for those people.

Tech Talent South Offers Continued Learning Support

Tech Talent South students can also audit courses they have taken in the past. This means that if a course is updated with new information according to industry standards, students will be able to access this updated information and benefit from it at no additional cost. 

The ability to audit the course later is also beneficial to people who simply want to keep what they have learned from their course content at the front of their minds. 

The Tech Talent South Training Experience

Finding the right training program is sometimes all about finding the best learning environment. This means that as a learner, your decision to pursue a course will likely be based on factors like the application process, the background of the instructors, the program cost and time commitment options, and the type of interactions you can expect to have with your classmates, instructors, teaching assistants, and program managers.

When it comes to the application process, Lachapelle says: “We lean on the side of inclusion rather than exclusion, meaning we don’t make it extremely challenging for interested students to enroll in our courses. There are enough barriers preventing people from accessing careers in technology—we certainly don’t want to create another.”

From this statement alone, you know you are getting into a student-focused program. “Our process begins with a qualitative conversation with our Talent Success Advisors. They get to know an interested candidate and really understand their personal goals. We help them identify if TTS is the right solution for them. If we are a good fit for them, we identify which learning track (web development or data science) best aligns with their goals.” 

Instructors at Tech Talent South are industry professionals, while the teaching assistants are those who have completed the bootcamp before. These qualifications help create a good mentorship experience for new learners.

Testimonials: Hear From Tech Talent South’s Alumni

Hearing from others who have experienced the program can help you to have a more informed perspective on whether TTS might work for you. TTS alumni have gone on to land roles with some of the most successful tech companies in the industry.

Stephanie Woodruff: Changing the Face of the Tech Industry

With an English Literature degree, Stephanie gained experience teaching an after-school kids’ program in Georgia while she was working a social media and digital communications job.

As a teacher, she taught basic coding fundamentals using popular and accessible learning applications that engage learners using characters and avatars in a setup that feels like a game.  Her unlikely inspiration came from one of her students, who asked if there was a coding game that had more people who looked like her. 

This experience inspired her to engage in a scholarship challenge that Tech Talent South had running. Following her training at TTS, Stephanie is starting Coding for the Culture, a digital literacy course for adults, and a coding pop-up camp for under-resourced communities.

Ashley Ware: Building Solutions in Just Eight Weeks

Ashley is a chemical engineer by education and experience. As a millennial, computers and gadgets were commonplace for her growing up. She had never really imagined herself focusing on a career using the technology she was so familiar with. Her experience learning to make candy in her chemistry class made a more lasting impact on her than her gadgets did. 

The reality of chemical engineering as a profession left her burnt out, and she decided that tech was the best field to explore for her career switch. She chose Tech Talent South as her tech education provider. 

“The thing that attracted me to Tech Talent South the most was that the teachers are actual (“currently active”) industry programmers [and] designers. Some are freelancers, while others are employed by companies ranging from startups to mid-sized businesses,” she says.

Get Started with Tech Talent South Today

Tech Talent South presents the opportunity for a fully holistic and immersive training experience. If that’s something you’re looking for, find out which of Tech Talent South’s programs best suits you. If you are ready to start your journey, you can apply to Tech Talent South here.