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Orlando code schools train computer programmers online [Orlando Sentinel :: ](Orlando Sentinel (FL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 06--Shortly after graduating from the University of Central Florida with a degree in digital media, Nick Pettit joined a key startup in Orlando's high-tech industry. Pettit was one of the first two employees at Treehouse, a computer-programming school with offices in Orlando's Thornton Park neighborhood. Less than half a mile away is a similar operation called Code School. Both teach aspiring Web designers and developers how to build websites and apps. The classes are all online, with no pricey college tuition or course prerequisites required. Tech experts say the companies, both about 3 years old, are a necessity in an age when people and businesses rely on mobile phones, tablets and laptops to find and share information. Someone has to design all that software and make it work. "There's plenty of coding jobs and not enough people to fill them," said Pettit, 27. "There's just an enormous need and an enormous skill gap." By 2022, the demand for software developers, who earn a median of more than $93,000 per year, is expected to grow by 22 percent nationwide, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For computer programmers, whose median salary is more than $74,000 yearly, the demand is predicted to increase by 8 percent. To help meet that need, scores of coding programs -- some of them camps for kids -- have cropped up across the country. But they aren't the only option. The University of Central Florida, Full Sail University near Winter Park and the new The Iron Yard Academy in downtown Orlando also offer instruction in computer coding. Gary Leavens, chairman of the computer-science division at UCF, said a college education is the way to go to master the subject and gain the skills to continue to learn in the rapidly evolving field. "UCF has a course in how to learn programming languages quickly," he said. But Mat Helme, 30, a designer at Treehouse, said a strong portfolio that demonstrates the ability to do the work is enough. "I'm not saying their [colleges'] programs are bad," said Helme, who attended college but is largely self-taught. "I'm saying you don't need them." For students motivated to learn on their own, Treehouse and Code School offer the advantage of low rates. Treehouse, which is geared more to beginners, offers a $25 basic and a $49 "pro" monthly membership. Code School costs $29 per month. Students watch videos, tackle quizzes or coding challenges and earn badges similar to those used in gaming and Boy or Girl Scouts. Code School has more than 20,000 students, founder Gregg Pollack said. Treehouse has more than 70,000, with 60 percent in the U.S., said co-founder Alan Johnson, 33, who works out of the company's Portland, Ore., office. "Our goal as a business was just to make technology accessible to everyone," Johnson said. Both companies pride themselves on high production values. Treehouse, which employs about 20 people in Orlando, records its screencasts in a studio decorated with colorful paintings and stairs that evoke a treehouse. Code School, which has 33 Orlando employees, uses a green screen rather than a set. The company creates a new course once a month and spends $70,000 to $100,000 to produce four hours of content, Pollack said. The schools teach programming languages including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, PHP and Python. Students also can learn how to develop content for iPhones, iPads or Android phones. Patrick Devins of Altamonte Springs took courses on Treehouse for two years and now works as a back-end developer for a small company that builds business websites and mobile apps. "I just really liked the format, the style and the way they taught," said Devins, 34. "It was super easy. They just give you the steps, and you follow them. If you follow those steps, they take you to success." Working at Treehouse and Code School is the anti-corporate experience. Both companies operate out of large, open spaces and offer perks reminiscent of those at Silicon Valley giants Google and Facebook. Treehouse has a four-day workweek. A year ago, the company eliminated managers, freeing employees to experiment and carry out ideas without a supervisor's buy-in. So far, the change seems to be working. "Everyone has passion for what we do," Helme said. Code School's employees can take as much vacation as they like. Most people -- who earn an average salary of $70,000 annually -- love their jobs so much that they have to be encouraged to take time off, Pollack said. At Treehouse, employees receive a free lunch every day and take breaks in the pool room, which also is home to video games and a liquor table. The perks, which are possible partly because of a $12.5 million infusion of venture capital, are designed to attract the most talented employees and keep them satisfied and productive. Those who prefer can opt to work at home, wherever in the world that is. "We believe really strongly in the folks on the team being able to build the life they want," Johnson said. "Why force them into a certain box?" For employees including Pettit, that means living in Orlando, where the Creative Village planned for the site of the old Orlando Arena is expected to increase the region's digital footprint. "Right now, the getting is good," Pettit said. "There's never been a better time to be a programmer." [email protected] or 407-540-5981 ___ (c)2014 The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) Visit The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) at www.OrlandoSentinel.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |