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By Nancy Dahlberg

Member Spotlight | Wyncode Academy & The Mikkola’s

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Business: A tech training bootcamp immersing students in a demanding and inspiring learning environment engineered to develop successful coders with business acumen. In-person & remote options available.

HQ: ‘Wynbase’ in Wynwood, Miami

Leadership: Johanna & Juha Mikkola

Founded: 2014

Awards: Beacon Council Educator of the Year, an Inc. 5000 Company, an Endeavor Company, South Florida Business Journal Startup of the Year.

Website: wyncode.co

 

With the COVID-19 crisis keeping unemployment too high in South Florida, particularly in communities of color, Wyncode Academy will bring back the Future Leaders of Tech Fellowship, with Knight Foundation support.

The fellowships offered by the Miami-based technology training academy will include a choice of Wyncode’s full-time 10-week Full Stack Web Development or UX/UI program and a paid 3-month tech internship with a South Florida company in the tech sector upon graduation.

It’s the fourth iteration of its partnership for the Future Leaders of Tech Fellowship, supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Raul Moas, Knight Foundation’s Miami program director, called it “an investment in Miami.”

The goal is to provide technology education to low-income, underrepresented residents in the tri-county area impacted by pandemic.

“As the tech ecosystem grows, we must work to make the benefits of working in this industry accessible to all those who seek to be part of it, and through it find upward mobility,” Moas said.

Initially, scholarships valued at $60,000 will be provided to four students. However, through a partnership with The Miami Foundation, individuals or companies can make contributions to fund more scholarships. Wyncode is contributing 40% of each scholarship.

Applicants must belong to an underrepresented group in Miami’s technology ecosystem, have under $50,000 in combined family income, and be authorized to work in the U.S. Preference is given to candidates with limited to no post-secondary education. The deadline to apply for Wyncode Academy’s upcoming Full Stack Web Development cohort is Oct. 16th, 2020. There will be more opportunities later in the year.

Fellowship program applications are now open here: wyncode.co/futureleaders.

“We are proud to continue leading this initiative and work towards supporting communities who have historically not had fair access to well-paying jobs in tech, an issue that has only been exaggerated due to COVID-19.” said Johanna Mikkola, CEO of Wyncode Academy and chairwoman of the Future Leaders of Tech Fellowship, “We need to create opportunities in order to see our city’s diversity represented in our tech ecosystem, as that is our strength compared to other more established technology ecosystems.”

Also this week, Wyncode released its 2019 Jobs Report. The overall job placement in 2019 was 90% among job-seeking graduates, and 85% of them took jobs in technical roles – most frequently as Software Developer/Engineer, Product Manager/Support, and UX/UI Designer. Nearly half – 49& — of them landed jobs within two months. The average salary for grads was $53,721. Access the jobs report here.

Other interesting findings were around the diversity of its cohorts:

  • Wyncode has an internal goal that half its student enrollment will be female by 2020. In 2019, female enrollment reached  35%, up from 31% in 2018 and just 20% in 2014. “We are particularly proud of this because while women make up 47% of the U.S. workforce they hold only 25% of the tech roles,” said Mikkola. “We previously pledged $1.4 million in scholarships to help close this gap.”
  • Wyncode nearly doubled the number of veterans in its programs between 2018 and 2019, growing from 7% to 16%, Mikkola said. “According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans exceeds that for the general population. Having veterans trained in the skills companies are looking for is extremely important, and veteran Wyncoders now work at companies like Microsoft and Amazon.”

Since its founding in 2014, Wyncode has trained more than 850 people in South Florida through its accelerated, immersive programs. The team now numbers 15, and Wyncode’s programs went virtual during the pandemic (shown in photo at top).   Wyncode has more than 400  hiring partners in its network.

This report was written for Refresh Miami and republished with permission.

 

By Nikki Cabus

Wyncode & Palm Beach Tech Partner on new Coding Bootcamp

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Wyncode Academy and The Palm Beach Tech Association are partnering to bring the first of its kind Part Time Coding Bootcamp to Palm Beach County.

“We’re excited to bring Wyncode Academy’s world-class education program to the Palm Beaches,” said Joe Russo, Executive Director of Palm Beach Tech. “We’re focused on building a sustainable talent pipeline for our tech companies, and with Wyncode we’re doing just that.

The part time Front End Web Development course, focused on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, will be offered in the evenings at two locations in West Palm Beach & Boca Raton.

Students will learn to build front-end web applications using the latest web development technologies. The course requires no previous coding experience, taking students from zero to front-end developer using JavaScript and the React library in just twelve weeks.

“We’re proud to stand with Palm Beach Tech in supporting South Florida’s flourishing tech industry,” said Tim Reen, Wyncode’s Head of Product Development.

The courses will take place at Palm Beach Tech Space  (313 Datura Street #100, West Palm Beach) and Lynn University (3601 N Military Trail, Boca Raton).

The Palm Beach Tech location will be led by Jeremy Lawson, who has over fifteen years of experience in the industry as a developer, instructor, and more. The Lynn University location will be led by Andrea Bailey who has over ten years of experience as a talented front end engineer and instructor.

The course will begin at both locations on Monday, June 25th and take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM for twelve weeks. The technologies and frameworks covered will include JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Git, ReactJS and JQuery.

Palm Beach Tech will be hosting an introduction  workshop  for those interested in the program:

Tuition is $4,000, with financing options for individuals available through Climb and workforce development grants available for companies through CareerSource Florida.

For more information or to register please email joe@palmbeachtech.org

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ABOUT WYNCODE:

Wyncode Academy is the premier accelerated learning destination in South Florida. Wyncode currently offers in-person courses for Full Stack Web Development, User Experience & User Interface (UX/UI) Design, Front End Web Development, and Digital Marketing in Wynwood, Miami, Florida in addition to the two new Front End Web Development courses in Palm Beach.  

Wyncode also has the ability to create custom cohorts and corporate training programs. Wyncode’s newest venture, Wyntalent, is a consulting service for mid and senior level dev talent. Wyncode’s network reaches far and wide with over 500 alumni and more than 220 hiring partners including CareCloud, Watsco Ventures, and KIPU Systems among many others. Wyncode’s full stack web development course is independently audited by MBAF and in 2016 had a 91% job placement rate within 120+ days of graduating, 93% of whom obtained a technical role.

ABOUT PALM BEACH TECH ASSOCIATION:

The Palm Beach Tech Association is a non-profit 501(c)6 membership association uniting and Building the Palm Beaches into a Tech Hub.

As a countywide trade association, Palm Beach Tech promotes industry growth by working with business groups, educational institutions, and government entities to support the goals of member companies. The core focus is fixed on producing long-term economic impact by attracting new business, supporting startups, and building the talent pool. With a scope of services that meets the needs of a wide range of industry professionals, from corporate CEO’s to freelancers, Palm Beach Tech believes in fostering the industry through a unified and holistic approach.

By Nikki Cabus

Full Day Coding Workshop @ Palm Beach Tech | August 19

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Wyncode Academy is hosting a full day coding bootcamp at Palm Beach Tech Space on Saturday, August 19th – an event they’ve dubbed Wyntroduction!

During the full day coding workshop, you will be taught programming basics for those with little to no experience in programming. All you’ll need for this event is a computer that is able to access the internet and a charger. Write your first line of code using Ruby learning from Ed Toro, M.I.T. Graduate with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, and Wyncode’s Head Instructor. You will also have the opportunity to engage with alumni and hear from both developer and hiring partner panels. By the end of the day, you will have built your own game!

Note: This is an in-person event, so be sure to bring your laptop & a charger!

 A Little Background on Wyncode Academy:

Wyncode is a coding Bootcamp teaching Ruby, Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, HTML and CSS in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami. They provide an inspiring learning environment engineered to develop successful coders with business acumen.Students are immersed in learning how to code in South Florida’s up and coming startup ecosystem. You will be given the training to succeed and make an impact in your chosen business or career whether in South Florida or beyond.

Wyncode is the #3 most reviewed in-person code school in the country on the industry-leading website Course Report with a 4.63/5 star rating. Wyncode is the place tech companies look for developers. Our hiring partner network includes 300+ companies looking for developers. 150+ companies in our hiring network have hired a Wyncoder, with over 45 hiring more than one graduate. Some of our top hiring partners are Carecloud, MDLIVE, Kipu Systems, SATO Global Solutions and Cloud Logistics, all companies that have hired over 5 Wyncoders. Kipu Systems and MDLive, have hired over 7 Wyncoders each. But the company that has hired the most is Carecloud with 9.

 

What the Day Will Look Like:

  • 9:30 AM Registration & breakfast
  • 10:00 AM Why learn to code
  • 10:15 AM Intro to Ruby Part 1
  • 11:15 AM Break
  • 11:20 AM Intro to Ruby Part 2
  • 12:20 PM Lunch
  • 1:20 PM Hiring Partner Panel
  • 2:05 PM Ruby Pat 3
  • 3:05 PM Developer Panel
  • 4:00 PM Break
  • 4:15 PM Intro to Ruby Part 4
  • 5:15 PM Closing
  • 5:30 PM Group photo on stage

By Nikki Cabus

Wyncode Offering Sample Classes

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Your first step to becoming a Web Developer! Wyncode Academy is kicking off their seventh cohort in Fort Lauderdale on October 10th!

They’ll talk about how you can change your life by learning how to code and why Wyncode’s 9-week intensive bootcamp will launch you in a new direction.

  • WHEN: Tuesday, August 9, 2016 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (EDT)
  • WHERE: 500 NW 1st Ave – Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
  • RSVP: Click Here

Wyncode is proud to be the #2 most reviewed code school in the country on the industry-leading website Course Report with a 4.7/5 star rating. They’ve graduated over 300 students with 81 companies hiring a Wyncoder, and over 30 hiring more than one graduate.

During the session, they’ll explain exactly what coding is, why everyone should learn to code and what you can build with those skills. Bring your laptop and get ready to try it for yourself, as you’ll write your first lines of Ruby code. Wyncode’s Cohort 11 begins in Miami on October 3rd and Cohort 7 starts in Fort Lauderdale on October 10th. Interviews are happening on a first-come, first served basis now.

Visit http://wyncode.co/web-immersive/ to learn more and please RSVP for this Event. If you are not able to make an introductory lesson, contact them directly at admissions@wyncode.co.

Wyncode is licensed by the Florida Department of Education Commission for Independent Education.

Member Spotlight | Wyncode Academy & The Mikkola’s
Wyncode & Palm Beach Tech Partner on new Coding Bootcamp
Full Day Coding Workshop @ Palm Beach Tech | August 19
Wyncode Offering Sample Classes