Coding Bootcamp Winners

04/06/2018

Israel Innovation Authority Announces Winners in Competition to Establish Coding Bootcamps to Train High Quality Software Developers for the Hi-tech Industry

Israel Innovation Authority Announces Winners in Competition to Establish Coding Bootcamps to Train High Quality Software Developers for the Hi-tech Industry
2,000 software developers set to participate in bootcamps expected to join the workforce within five years 

[Tel Aviv, June 4th, 2018] The Israel Innovation Authority is pleased to announce the winning non-academic programs in the competition to establish “coding bootcamps.” The bootcamps, chosen from a total of 24 submitted proposals, include:

  • Tapuach
  • Infinity Labs
  • ITC – Israel Tech Challenge
  • Elevation Academy 
  • Kav Mashve 
  • Primrose

Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry, Eli Cohen, said:  “Our goal is to increase the number of top-notch pathways to enter the hi-tech industry in order to provide a solution for our lack of software developers. The hi-tech industry is a significant growth engine for the economy and these bootcamps will provide an opportunity for employees with high potential from diverse backgrounds. This program is a significant step on the road to increase the amount of human capital in hi-tech, and is expected to yield as many as 280 graduates in the first year alone – a number that represents  about ten percent of the number of those graduating with technology degrees from universities each year.”
 
The coding bootcamps approved by the Israel Innovation Authority are intensive and  practical extra-academic training program, which provide relatively swift training in  programming. They are intended to provide a high-quality solution to the growing need for software developers in Israel’s hi-tech industry. The frameworks are selective and scout for high potential candidates – at least 50% of whom are academics with scientific backgrounds – and then train them in different programming roles. The coding bootcamp graduates aim at placing graduates in high-wage development positions throughout the hi-tech industry.

Coding bootcamps first appeared in the United States in 2012, and since then have become popular training routes for programming positions. Today, the camps provide about one quarter of the personnel employed in this field every year. Eighty percent of U.S. hi-tech companies have recruited at least one coding bootcamp graduate and 84% of them report that bootcamp graduates are as proficient, or more so, than university graduates.

The entities, selected in a competitive process by a professional committee that included representatives of industry and government, will be responsible for recruiting promising candidates, providing them with high-quality training, and integrating the graduates into high wage development roles throughout the hi-tech industry. The Israel Innovation Authority’s system of remuneration is based on “pay-per-performance,” that is, the coding bootcamps will receive the majority of their fees only when graduates are placed in software development roles at salaries higher than 14,000 shekels per month. Bootcamps will receive  fees at a rate commensurate with the salaries the graduates receive, and the bootcamps will be able to receive grants with preferential conditions for successful placements of employees from diverse populations: women, people over 45, members of the Arab and  Ultra-orthodox communities, immigrants from Ethiopia, and those with disabilities.

Ties with the selected coding bootcamps will extend for three years according to conditions set in advance.

Dr. Ami Appelbaum, Chief Scientist and Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority, said: “The Israel Innovation Authority is promoting the ‘coding bootcamp’ model as one more significant channel that will provide solutions for the lack of skilled personnel in the hi-tech industry. The demand for software developers exceeds the supply, and the shortage poses an obstacle to the continued development of the innovation ecosystem in Israel. The Israel Innovation Authority is acting through various routes to increase the number of hi-tech personnel in general, and software developers in particular. In this framework, the coding bootcamp model, which has demonstrated success abroad, is a great opportunity for training high-quality software developers in a relatively swift timeframe.”

CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, Aharon Aharon said: “The Israel Innovation Authority is committed to finding solutions for all obstacles standing in the way of the hi-tech industry, mostly the lack of outstanding engineers and developers. The coding bootcamps will bring exceptional personell to the ecosystem and provide a solution in a relatively short time frame. At the same time, we are working to create additional, complementary ways of expanding the number of  skilled personnel for the hi-tech industry, whether it be trained personnel from abroad or from underrepresented demographics in Israel.”

The Head of Societal Challenges Division, Naomi Krieger-Carmy, said: “We congratulate the coding bootcamps selected amongst the many proposals due to their commitment to the standards of quality and excellence that we set . Amongst the winners, there are both new and veteran organizations, business ventures and non-profits. The bootcamps will act in different areas in Israel and are aimed at attracting outstanding candidates from throughout the country. Some of them have dedicated programs for training women, those from peripheral and from the Arab and Ultra-orthodox communities. At the end of the day, the test of their success will be their results. We call on the hi-tech industry, eager for trained personnel, to be a real partner on this path.”

Additional details regarding the winning coding bootcamps:

Tapuach
The Tapuach non-profit was established in 2000 in order to serve as a bridge between Israel’s growing hi-tech industry and populations from the country’s geographic and social periphery. The organization has teamed up with ITC and other leading hi-tech companies in order to create an intensive training course for the Full Stack & Mobile professions. It has won a grant to operate a coding bootcamp on behalf of the Israel Innovation Authority in this profession and will conduct training in Ramle and Tel Aviv.
For additional details: https://www.appleseeds.org.il/startech

Infinity Labs
Infinity Labs R&D is a company with extensive experience  in training, and since 2014 has maintained an intensive training regimen in programming for outstanding graduates from engineering, science and other professions. The company has won a grant to operate a coding bootcamp on behalf of the Israel Innovation Authority in Full Stack & C/C++ Embedded, and will conduct training in Ramat Gan and Haifa.
For additional details: https://infinitylabs.co.il/#about-top

ITC
ITC is an intensive training program for academics trained in scientific professions who wish to switch career paths, and was chosen to operate a coding bootcamp on behalf of the Israel Innovation Authority in the area of Data Science. The company is calling on Israelis as well as those eligible under the Law of Return to participate their program, which will be offered in English in Tel Aviv.
For additional details: https://www.itc.tech

Experis Kicktart
Experis Kickstart is a training program for outstanding academics in hi-tech. The company has won a grant to operate a coding bootcamp on behalf of the Israel Innovation Authority in RT Embedded and Data Science. Training will be carried out in Tel Aviv and in Haifa.
For additional details: http://www.experis-software.co.il

Elevation
Elevation Academy is a relatively new and dynamic program active in Tel Aviv that provides short and practical training in hi-tech professions. The company has won a grant to operate a coding bootcamp on behalf of the Israel Innovation Authority in Full Stack.
For additional details: https://elevation.academy

Kav Mashve
Kav Mashve is a non-profit established with the goal of promoting the integration of academics from the Arab community into the Israeli economy. The association teamed up with the British ‘Founders & Coders’ bootcamp, which recently became active in Nazareth, in order to create a coding bootcamp in Full Stack. The company has won a grant to operate a coding bootcamp on behalf of the Israel Innovation Authority and will run its training in Nazareth, Shfaram, and Daliat al-Carmel.
For additional details: http://www.kavmashve.org.il

Primrose
Primrose is a relatively new company that is establishing coding bootcamps intended for people with graduate degrees in exact sciences who wish to move into the field of machine learning. The company is run by Leah Polcheck, an algorithm developer with rich pedagogic experience developing and leading programming training from She Codes and the Deep Learning Academy. The company has won a grant to operate a coding bootcamp on behalf of the Israel Innovation Authority and will run in-depth training in machine learning in Tel Aviv.