Holberton School Colombia inaugurates new Medellín campus for aspiring techies

Contxto – As more tech companies enter the region and more people quit their 9-to-5 jobs to start their own tech ventures, demand for IT-skilled individuals has skyrocketed in recent years.

In Summary

With this in mind, Holberton School, the renowned institution promoting and teaching coding skills, recently opened the doors of its newest campus in Medellín. Announced on July 10 at the Museum of Modern Art, programming won’t start until September. However, registration is currently open at all of its Colombian offices.

Straight from the Bay Area the company first arrived into Colombia back in January. Founded by a wide array of members including Docker, Apple and LinkedIn the institution’s goal is to prepare future generations of developers and IT experts. The program consists of a two-year intensive training program for aspiring software developers.

In turn, the average Joes of the world can turn themselves into coveted hackers. The project-based methodology follows a peer-to-peer teaching style. Supported by innovative pedagogic models, the company chooses participants exclusively based on potential.

In-Depth

Academic background, gender, area of expertise or age are irrelevant variables when it comes to the selection process. In the end, the program concentrates on real challenges based on current and future market needs to make it as practical as possible. 

Holberton School arrived in Colombia in January. Now, it is expanding its reach into one of Colombia’s most innovative cities. In Medellín, there are already 47 active students who took part in the inaugural event.

These pupils were chosen out of 1,200 applicants during the first batch. The second call is currently open and it will start in September, for which interested people can register here.

The first 1,500 graduates from the Medellín branch will specialize in artificial intelligence, first-generation programming languages including binary code and assembler, web development, as well as augmented and virtual reality.

Holberton’s teaching style is innovative, yet it’s not its only deed. Its monetization strategy is also quite interesting. Pretty similar to Silicon Valley’s Lambda School, HolaCode in Mexico, or even Laboratoria from Peru, students never pay upfront. In fact, Holberton only starts charging once students graduate and secure well-paying tech jobs. 

After completion, students end up paying 17 percent of their monthly salary for 3.5 years. This model is quite revolutionary in terms of enabling access both to quality education and inclusion in the labor market. Even better, it’s available to people of all backgrounds.

-VC