The rise of 'Bootcamps': intensive courses that will get you a well-paid job

The labor market is crying out for digital talent and, although the number of professionals in this sector is increasing, it is not enough for a sector in continuous growth.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
10 March 2023 Friday 14:21
62 Reads
The rise of 'Bootcamps': intensive courses that will get you a well-paid job

The labor market is crying out for digital talent and, although the number of professionals in this sector is increasing, it is not enough for a sector in continuous growth. In fact, the Spanish Association for Digitization (DigitalEs) ensures that the ICT sector is one of the sectors that generates the most direct jobs, over half a million, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

The need for professionals trained and specialized in digital skills is increasing rapidly and the lack of talent threatens the coverage of this demand, which is the main concern and priorities of companies.

In addition, this contributes to the fact that the ICT sector has an occupancy rate that is 50 % higher than the average and that the average salary received by professionals is around 37,660 euros per year -11,000 euros above the national average-, according to the Tech Cities 2021 report.

This imbalance between the wide range of jobs and the low number of qualified professionals has caused study centers to adapt at the educational level to train digital talent intensively and quickly. This is how the 'bootcamps' and centers such as the Upgrade Hub were born, which has specialized in this specific training in the different fields of the ICT sector.

The term bootcamp comes from the military world, in fact they are intensive army training with the aim of preparing the physical shape of the soldiers in a very short time. For a few years now, this concept has been adapted to the field of education, but the purpose remains the same: to prepare professionals quickly.

These educational bootcamps have come stomping on the IT sector, given its need for trained professionals. This is how they have become short-term courses (a few months), with intensive training, a lot of dedication, commitment, and very practical.

The bootcamps manage to prepare their students completely and exhaustively to become professionals, so they are modules that require a high level of commitment and many hours of dedication to get them off the ground.

The origin of the use of this expression in this sense is in the United States, specifically in Silicon Valley. It was around 2012 when the first specialized and intensive training focused on the technology sector emerged with a duration of two to three months.

In barely a decade, bootcamps are already a booming training that is growing by leaps and bounds thanks to its methodology, focused on preparing students for the job of the future in a very practical way.

Upgrade hub was founded in 2018 and its founders are Gustavo Aznar and Ángel Sandoval. It is defined as the hub that trains your digital and technological skills from a comprehensive perspective and combining face-to-face and online experience.

Its objective is to provide its upgraders with knowledge, but, above all, self-confidence, so that they not only find a job in an emerging sector, but also build their own life project.

Currently, it offers six bootcamps that allow you to acquire the necessary skills to work as a programmer (Full stack or Front end), UX / UI designer, data analyst, Paid Media and in the Cybersecurity and ethical hacking sector. The trainings vary in their duration depending on the professional area and the modality chosen by the student, full or part-time training. This period is usually between two and five months.

The so-called upgraders usually have two very marked profiles. On the one hand, there are those who have just finished university and want more specific and practical training. On the other hand, there are those who have extensive work experience, but seek to reinvent themselves and opt for a better-paid job and more prospects for the future.

Whatever the profile, in Upgrade hub they only require being of legal age and passing an admission test, which includes an interview (in person or online).

Therefore, studying a bootcamp there are many different profiles that come from completely different sectors.