Tech Elevator will bring its coding bootcamp to Wilmington in January 2022

Tech Elevator may be new to Delaware, but it’s been around since 2015 — long enough to have placed nearly 2,000 people into software development jobs since its beginning in Cleveland, Ohio. In all, the organization has five physical campuses: Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, plus a national remote program.

In January, it will join the ranks of local bootcamps Zip Code Wilmington and Code Differently to officially launch its next location on Market Street in Wilmington.

The program offers a full-stack software developer track — and, for Delaware adults, it will be free, thanks to a partnership with Tech Impact. The tech training nonprofit received $6 million to place 500 Delaware residents in IT training and certification programs through June 2025 under the U.S. Department of Labor H-1B One Workforce Grant Program. Participating training programs also include Code Differently and The Precisionists.

Why is that important? For one, job resiliency: “IT occupations are growing almost twice as fast as overall occupation growth,” said Patrick Callihan, executive director at Tech Impact.

And with the rapid growth of the industry happening in Delaware, the decision to expand here, Campus Director Caitie Zajko told Technical.ly, was an easy one.

“When we launched Philadelphia right before COVID, we were seeing a huge need in terms of opportunities in Wilmington,” Zajko said. “We have a lot of alumni from Philadelphia that were getting placed in Wilmington.”

Tech Elevator has a 95% graduation and 90% job placement rate, based on their reporting to the Council on Integrity and Results Reporting. Part of its success, Zajko said, is its Pathway Program, which runs parallel to the coding camp.

“Instead of focusing on the technical curriculum it’s focused on honing skills,” she said. “It’s a nationally recognized program that helps people build their brand, their LinkedIn profile, their elevator pitch, what to say in an interview. It really teaches students how to land that job and it connects them with the employers that are in that market.”

Tech Elevator’s first Delaware cohort is expected to launch on Jan. 17, though the decision about whether it will be in person or remote due to COVID concerns will be announced closer to the start date. (Students will be allowed to choose remote classes if they prefer, regardless). Applications are now open to Delaware residents over the age of 18.

“We don’t require any previous experience,” Zajko said. “We tell people, ‘if you have a passion and an interest in making a career in technology, start our process and see if it’s something that you really truly love. Our mission is to help elevate people, companies and communities.”