Pandemic Placement Job Wins
Indianapolis, IN—Eleven Fifty Academy, one of the nation’s premiere tech bootcamp academies, has announced their graduate placement numbers for 2020. Despite rampant unemployment rates in the face of uncertainty and economic turmoil brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Academy boasts an impressive over 90% placement rate for any bootcamp graduates who requested Career Services assistance in securing a new job in technology within 9-12 months.
According to Scott Jones, the founder and president of Eleven Fifty Academy, these results align closely with the school’s mission to empower one million students to earn an average of over a million dollars in their first decade of working in technology.
“The skills gap in technology is a real problem not just for tech employers, but any organization in any field that relies on skilled developers and cybersecurity professionals,” says Jones, whose home at 1150 116th Street in Carmel, Indiana served as the original campus for the Academy. “For us, it’s not enough to teach people these skills, but to help to bridge the gap between professionals and the employers who need real help—and are willing to invest in talent, even in the course of an unprecedented pandemic.”
The Academy’s 2020 graduates represented students who earned certifications in Web Development, Software Development, and Cybersecurity through a 12-week or 26-week immersive bootcamp curriculum. A total of 199 program graduates who requested placement assistance from the school’s Career Services department were able to secure new jobs in 2020. 45% of those students accepted job offers within 3 months of graduation, with the rest securing employment within 3 to 12 months.
For the 95 employers who were able to hire much-needed talent during the pandemic, Eleven Fifty Academy’s style of quick, practical education serves as a boon for tech growth in Indiana and around the country.
According to Mike Nicholson, Development Manager for fiVISION, a technology solutions provider for financial institutions, Eleven Fifty Academy graduates have met expectations for new developer talent.
“Our Eleven Fifty grads came in with the skills advertised,” says Nicholson. “We were able to start coding and working immediately on related projects. Their knowledge of a typical software life cycle really helped the transition not be overwhelming for anyone.”
For employers in the cybersecurity industry, access to skilled cybersecurity professionals poses a significant challenge. According to InfoSecurity Magazine, the global shortfall in cybersecurity professionals improved in 2020 for the first time, from a gap of 4.07 million to 3.12 million professionals needed to fill cybersecurity roles. Damien Sullivan, Manager of MTR Operations for data security firm Sophos, is encouraged by Eleven Fifty Academy’s ability to produce skilled cybersecurity professionals prepared for the demands of real-world work.
“The Eleven Fifty grads on our team came in with a basic foundational knowledge of cybersecurity concepts and technical skill,” says Sullivan. “Their eagerness to learn and contribute definitely spreads throughout the team. Given the current shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, we will definitely continue to hire Eleven Fifty grads when we’re looking to bring in fresh talent to develop.”
Among Eleven Fifty Academy’s 2020 graduates who were placed in new roles, the average starting salary greatly exceeds 2020’s median individual income of $43,206 among US workers. By role, Eleven Fifty graduates had an average 2020 salary of:
- Web Development – $55,297
- Software Development – $54,018
- Cybersecurity – $56,315
Placed graduates represented an age range of 24 to 59 years, with a gender breakdown of 33% women and 67% men. A significant percentage of placed graduates in 2020 were veterans. As the academy implements new programs and opportunities to serve groups traditionally underrepresented in the tech industry, it is the hope and intention of Scott Jones to increase not just the number of placed graduates, but also the number of opportunities for women, veterans, minorities and other groups in 2021 and beyond.
“The only way to close the skills gap in the tech workforce is to make opportunities accessible to a broader portion of the population,” says Jones. “I truly believe that tech represents a field with the potential to break barriers and cycles of inequity and generational poverty. It’s our job to prepare people for the life-changing opportunity of a rewarding career in technology, and to foster innovation and economic prosperity for the state of Indiana and the United States along the way.”
The complete 2020 Job Placement Report from Eleven Fifty Academy is forthcoming.
About Eleven Fifty Academy
Eleven Fifty Academy is a non-profit institution focused upon high quality, immersive software development, web development, UX/UI design, IT professional and cybersecurity bootcamp courses designed to accelerate the learning curve for people of all ages and skill sets. The mission of Eleven Fifty Academy is to build an ecosystem of tech talent that financially benefits the individual, their employer and their community. For more information, visit elevenfifty.org. Eleven Fifty Academy’s headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
