Outcomes_2023_Blog

Code Platoon Graduate Outcomes 2023

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Code Platoon is committed to helping Veterans, Servicemembers, and military spouses launch careers in technology. Over 400 military Coding Bootcamp graduates have transitioned to the tech industry from Code Platoon’s Full-stack Software Engineering and DevOps and Cloud Engineering programs.

A key component of our mission is to provide graduates with more than the essential tech skills for their future professions. We also emphasize the career development resources and networking needed to enter the tech field. 

Here are our results as of September 2023:

Code Platoon Outcomes 2023

  • Two hundred fifteen (215) job-seeking Veterans, Servicemembers, and military spouses graduated in the last two years (8 cohorts).
  • One hundred sixty (74%) of those graduates found software engineering jobs within six months.
  • The median starting salary of those graduates was $85,000. The median salary increased to $115,000 after 24 months.
  • Of the remaining fifty-five graduates, thirty-four were still looking for careers in technology, two sought higher education, two pursued opportunities outside of tech, and seventeen didn’t respond to our surveys.
2023 Outcomes

Our graduates’ success rate is attributed to many factors that make Code Platoon unique:

  • Military coding students show unwavering commitment to learning and growth each day.
  • Our exceptional staff, partners, and supporters collaborate to provide a supportive learning environment. 
  • Hands-on learning is a cornerstone of Code Platoon’s Coding Bootcamps. Students apply their knowledge through project-based assignments, workshops, and pair-programming exercises.
  • Code Platoon can accept the GI Bill®, VET TEC, and VR&E VA education benefits. We awarded students 1.3 million dollars in scholarships during the last two years.

Code Platoon’s curriculum offers comprehensive training in full-stack software engineering and DevOps and cloud engineering. Full-stack software engineering students learn in-demand programming languages Python and JavaScript, practice using essential frameworks React and Django, and prepare for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Practitioner professional certifications. 

DevOps and Cloud Engineering students learn continuous integration and deployment, configuration management, and end-to-end automation. Graduates gain experience with industry-standard tools: Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Github, and AWS.

Code Platoon also understands that success extends beyond technical expertise. Our graduates are equipped with skills to navigate the transition from military service to the tech workforce.

  • Code Platoon’s programs are designed specifically for the military community. Students practice describing their military experience and tech skills in extensive behavioral interview prep.
  • Students prepare for the complexities of post-military life in Beyond Tech workshops on personal finance, imposter syndrome, and other essential transition skills.
  • Resume preparation, LinkedIn profile building, and exposure to Agile software development principles help students become well-rounded software developers.
  • Each student receives a volunteer industry mentor to ask questions about the tech industry and receive feedback.
  • Graduates may compete for paid apprenticeships after graduation to help bridge the gap between service and the tech industry. Graduates may also apply to positions with Code Platoon’s preferred hiring partners, including Accenture, Affirm, and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Every aspect of Code Platoon’s programs, combined with our military coding students’ dedication, contributes to our graduates’ success. If you’re part of the military community and aspire to enter the tech industry, we invite you to explore our program offerings.

Rod Levy is the Founder and Executive Director of Code Platoon. He holds undergraduate and Master’s degrees in engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he graduated with honors. Rod has completed Dev Bootcamp’s web developer program.

Bridging Cultures and Building a New Tech Career

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Growing up in China, Delta Evening & Weekend Platoon graduate Hui Zhao never would have suspected that she would become an American military spouse or a software engineer. But a couple of chance encounters—a Soldier she’d fall in love with and a new friend encouraging her to learn to code—would change her life forever.

“I planned to get my Masters of Animal Sciences in the United States, then move back to China,” Hui said. “I would live near my family and start one of my own. Then I met my husband, and everything changed.”

After marrying, Hui began working in animal care and research, but her plans had to shift again when her husband, an active duty Army Intelligence Analyst, was deployed to Alaska. 

“When I first became a military spouse, I didn’t know we’d have to move so much,” Hui said. “My background was in animal sciences and livestock. When we were deployed to Anchorage, I had no opportunities to continue my work.”

Hui quickly grew restless staying on the base alone. She wanted to forge her own path and positively impact the world. So, she started looking for a new career. With little support for military spouses at her base and few remote jobs available to Alaskans, Hui eventually settled into a role for the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management of Alaska.

“What I did there was meaningful but temporary,” Hui said. “I wanted a career that I could maintain no matter where my husband and I would have to live.”

Hui then connected online with another Chinese-American military spouse who had attended Code Platoon’s Full-stack Software Engineering: Immersive program and became a software engineer at Lockheed Martin. She told Hui about Coding Bootcamp and launching her tech career with Code Platoon.

“In the past, I would imagine what apps could make my life easier, but I never thought I could make these products myself,” Hui admitted. “I hadn’t considered programming. I thought it was a lot of math, but my friend encouraged me to try coding for myself.” 

Hui started learning Python and quickly found herself enjoying it. After completing Intro to Coding, she was accepted to Code Platoon’s Full-stack Software Engineering: Evening & Weekend program. She and three other spouses in her cohort received full-tuition military spouse scholarships.

“Having a shared experience with other military spouses in the program was awesome. Delta Evening & Weekend Platoon got along well. Whether Veterans or spouses, we were all students first.”

Hui was also surprised to receive even more resources from Code Platoon alums she added on LinkedIn: 

“It felt like a family. Everyone was looking out for each other.”

Hui’s favorite aspects of programming are project management, fixing bugs, and creating apps that make a difference in people’s lives. She also enjoyed working with teammates on their final projects.

“It’s so rewarding knowing what I build as a software engineer can have a lasting impact. It feels like the future is in my hands.”

Hui and her family recently moved to Virginia, where she is applying for her first software engineering position.

“In my first year of marriage, I didn’t realize that the American military and their spouses are a community, but they are. I’m grateful to have become part of the community of Veterans and spouses helping each other succeed.”

“Being a military spouse teaches you to be resilient, adaptable, and embrace the quick turnarounds in life,” she said. “I’ve moved to a new country, built new relationships, and done what I can to support my family while following my dreams, too.”

Kayla Elkin is the Marketing Content Specialist at Code Platoon. In this role, she uses her marketing, writing, and editing skills developed from previous positions in higher education and educational technology. Kayla has degrees in English and Sociology from Clemson University and completed the Study in India Program (SIP) at the University of Hyderabad.

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DevOps Alpha Platoon Final Projects

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Code Platoon celebrated our first DevOps and Cloud Engineering cohort’s graduation on Friday, July 21, 2023. The inaugural Immersive DevOps Alpha Platoon featured eight talented Veteran tech students ready to embark on in-demand DevOps careers. 

The students had been working diligently to gain hands-on experience and master essential DevOps skills, tools, and technologies during the program. They deployed real-world applications developed by a previous Full-stack Software Engineering cohort for their final projects. These projects provided the DevOps Alpha Platoon with practical experience and showcased the DevOps practices they learned during their Bootcamp journeys.

Here is a closer look at the two DevOps projects showcased during graduation:

GAMENIGHT

The first team deployed GAMENIGHT, a gaming event planning app developed by Romeo Platoon students. An Air Force Reservist, two Navy Veterans, and an active duty Airman worked on the GAMENIGHT DevOps team.

The GAMENIGHT team first created a multi-stage Docker build to minimize images. They also implemented a custom entry point to automate migrations before executing the Django server. 

The DevOps students leveraged the power of AWS, Kubernetes (a container management system), and Terraform (an Infrastructure as Code tool) to deploy GAMENIGHT. Finally, the team built a GitHub Actions workflow to automate the continuous integration of the Docker images and enable continuous deployment to Amazon EKS.

Romeo’s Adventure

The second team’s project deployed Romeo’s Adventure, an online game built with Django. Two Air Force Veterans, a Marine Corps Veteran, and a transitioning Soldier completed this final project.

The Romeo’s Adventure team also used Docker to build front-end and back-end images for the app. They harnessed Kubernetes to enable horizontal auto-scaling, automatically detect and replace pod failures, and effectively distribute incoming network traffic using a load balancer. 

The DevOps team managed deployments to Romeo’s Adventure via GitHub Actions. When a software engineer commits code to the app, their GitHub build automatically triggers their Docker images and applies changes with Kubectl files. An AWS dashboard monitors the web app’s performance, complete with alarms to notify the team of any health issues. Automatic database backups and EC2 instance snapshots are taken every 24 hours to ensure data safety.

The DevOps Alpha Platoon graduation ceremony and demonstrations can be seen in full on Code Platoon’s YouTube channel. Congratulations once again to the DevOps Alpha Platoon!

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From Novice to Ninja: Essential Tips for Solving Coding Challenges for Beginners

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Stepping into the world of coding may initially seem like learning a new language from another planet. However, with the right approach and guidance, you can unravel the intricacies and swiftly become proficient. As a teaching assistant at Code Platoon, I understand the struggles beginners often encounter. In this blog post, I will delve with you into essential tips for solving coding challenges that can transform a novice into a coding ninja.

1. Understand the Problem

Before you dive into coding, take a moment to fully understand the problem you are trying to solve. Read the problem multiple times, underline key points, and paraphrase it in your own words. Consider drawing diagrams or creating pseudo-code to visualize the problem and the desired outcome.

2. Break it Down

Breaking down the problem into smaller, more manageable pieces makes it less intimidating and easier to solve. As the ancient proverb says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Each coding challenge is a puzzle, and each piece of the puzzle is a step towards your solution.

3. Plan Your Approach

After understanding and breaking down the problem, the next step is to design a solution. Plan your approach strategically. What kind of data structures and algorithms will be most effective? What functions might you need? Outlining your strategy before diving into coding will save you time and reduce errors.

4. Start Coding

Now it’s time to bring your plan to life. Start coding using the approach you outlined. It’s important to write clean, concise, and readable code. Remember to add comments to your code – it not only helps others understand your logic but also helps you maintain a coherent flow.

5. Test Your Code

Testing is a critical part of coding. Run your code with different test cases to make sure it’s working as expected. Check edge cases to verify your code can handle all possible inputs. If you encounter errors, don’t panic – debugging is part of the process.

6. Refactor and Optimize Your Code

Once your code is working correctly, take a moment to review it. Can it be more efficient? Can you make it cleaner and more readable? Always strive to optimize your code to be more efficient and maintainable.

7. Practice, Practice, Practice

Coding, like any other skill, improves with practice. Engage in daily coding exercises, participate in coding challenges, and practice problem-solving on platforms like LeetCode. As you tackle more and more problems, you’ll start seeing patterns and become more comfortable with different coding challenges.

Embarking on your coding journey can seem daunting, but remember that every expert was once a beginner. Use these tips as a roadmap to guide you through solving coding challenges. Keep an open mind, be patient with yourself, and remember that every problem you solve brings you one step closer to becoming a seasoned coder.

Robert Sears is an Army Veteran turned computer science student. He enjoys contributing to the Veteran community and works as a teaching assistant for Code Platoon. In his free time, he loves powerlifting and spending time with his cat, Merlin.

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Best practices for your LinkedIn profile photo during your military transition

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First impressions are critical. When recruiters and hiring managers like what they see on your resume, they often do their due diligence and look you up on social media. 

But what truly is the most essential part of your profile? It’s your headshot! According to LinkedIn, “research shows that just having a picture makes your profile 14 times more likely to be viewed by others.”

Our Chicago-based students in the Uniform cohort were lucky to have professional headshots taken by Karla Livney for their LinkedIn profiles. Livney, who donated her time and expertise, believes that “what makes a headshot ‘great’ and distinguishes you from the pack is an authenticity and genuineness that shines through in the eyes and the smile—a palpable connection between photographer and client. Knowledge of lighting and camera is essential, but you really need to find a photographer with whom you feel comfortable.”  

If you weren’t in Chicago to model for Karla Livney’s shoot at Code Platoon, sign up for a photographer from Portraits For Patriots®. According to their website, their volunteer photographers create “portfolio-quality images that showcase the strength and determination” of transitioning service members and military spouses, free of charge.

Remember, your LinkedIn profile photo significantly influences how others perceive you professionally. By following these best practices, you can present yourself in the best possible light and positively impact potential employers, recruiters, and industry peers.

  • Dress professionally and appropriately for your industry – not too casual or too formal
  • Friendly and approachable expression – this may not be how you were trained in the military, but SMILE at least a little
  • Clear, well-lit, and in-focus, the head takes up 60% of the frame
  • Up-to-date photo – don’t create confusion by using an image from over five years ago
  • Good posture and eye contact exudes confidence
  • Neutral background – the focus should be on you
  • Square photo of at least 400×400 pixels, jpg, png, and under 8MB for faster loading
  • No selfies. This is your professional brand, not your personal social media.
  • Not a group shot – don’t edit others out.

Katherine is Code Platoon’s Career Services Coordinator and works with Code Platoon graduates as they seek tech jobs. She comes to this role after many years serving on various nonprofit boards and as Executive Director of Skin of Steel, a melanoma research and awareness organization. She holds a BA in Psychology from Dartmouth College and an MS in Clinical Neuropsychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. She is the proud daughter of a Navy Reserve Captain.

What lessons from history will shape the future for military developers using AI Chatbots?

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In the worlds of military development and software engineering, history provides valuable insights. As a former Airborne Infantryman and history buff, I like to research how my predecessors did things. The Sky Soldiers of WWII offer a great deal of inspiration, after all. 

One of the questions I recently dug into was, How much gear did someone in the 101st Airborne carry when they jumped into Normandy on D-Day? I discovered that the weight carried into battle in 1944 was remarkably similar to my loadout as I walked the streets of places like Tikrit, Iraq – they just had less stuff. 

Sixty to seventy pounds of gear on an average patrol has been standard for decades, but what composes that has changed a great deal. Advancements in technology have allowed us to carry much more ammunition, medical supplies, and food without a change in overall weight.

This development offers a significant lesson in the history of software engineering and technology. When reductions in size, weight, or cost (or all of these) occur, it rarely results in an overall net decrease in usage or less energy expended at the end goal. Instead, these advancements make coding more efficient, refining workflows and enabling tasks to be completed faster.

I offer this example to suggest that, given historical realities, technologies like AI Chatbots will not take the jobs of software developers and engineers. Rather, AI will enable them to increase the speed at which they accomplish tasks, so long as they adapt to the new technology. AI will help software engineers do more of what they are doing and do it more quickly and efficiently.

I recall using a calculator for the first time when I was about eight years old and thinking, Why do I need to learn math? Won’t this do it all for me?

Well, that was around 1981, and here we are in 2023 with mathematicians still in demand. Mathematics remains a highly respected field in academia and business, despite massive increases in machine computing ability at nearly everyone’s fingertips in the workforce. 

Some may counter that AI is a substantial leap forward from my comparisons, possibly even one that eclipses all other advancements by orders of magnitude. I am not an expert in the field, so it is not my place to say whether that is true. Instead, I offer the following two points to consider.

First, be leery of anyone making absolutist claims about the unknown. In the last week, I’ve read statements that range from “AI Chatbots will kill us all” to “They are nothing more than a Wikipedia you can talk to.” Both extremes seem problematic, mainly because we don’t fully know yet. 

Second, acquaint yourself early with new technologies if you want to work in the software engineering field (and probably even if you don’t). Learning to use and maximize a new technology will nearly always be better than remaining ignorant of it.

In other words, AI is not something to shy away from, so don’t let this new tool pass you by. Embrace the opportunity it presents by actively engaging with chatbots and learning how they can help you improve your software engineering skills.

Greg Drobny is a former Airborne Infantryman, PSYOP Team Chief, political consultant, professional military blogger, and Code Platoon’s Student Outreach and Recruitment Manager. He holds a BA and MA in history and an MS in organizational psychology. He is married with four children who keep him more than slightly busy, and is passionate about helping Veterans find their paths in life and develop the skills needed to pursue their goals.

Learning DevOps and Cloud Engineering at Code Platoon

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The world of technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a greater push for cloud adoption and sustainable budget planning for IT projects. As a result, the demand for skilled professionals in DevOps and Cloud Engineering has skyrocketed. Code Platoon recognized this need and set out to bridge the gap by offering a comprehensive DevOps bootcamp tailored to military Veterans and spouses looking to embark on a career in this exciting field.

Code Platoon’s primary motivation in creating a top cloud engineering Bootcamp is to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in the ever-changing technology landscape. 

“Our curriculum is carefully crafted to combine theory with practical, hands-on assignments and projects, ensuring that our students are well-prepared for the real-world challenges they will face in their DevOps careers,” said Chandra Arya, Lead DevOps Instructor at Code Platoon. 

“One of the core principles we emphasize in our training program is the DevOps mindset. Effective communication, collaboration, and continuous improvement are the key pillars of success in this field.”

The DevOps curriculum is divided into five major modules. 

  • The Linux and AWS track focuses on developing proficiency in Linux operating systems and utilizing the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform. 
  • The Infrastructure and Automation track emphasizes infrastructure automation and configuration management using tools such as Terraform and Ansible. 
  • The CI/CD track centers around implementing Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using GitHub Actions. 
  • The Monitoring track covers various tools and services for monitoring infrastructure and applications, including Cloudwatch, Elasticsearch, Kibana, Logstash, and major beats like Filebeat, Packetbeat, and Metricbeat. 
  • Finally, the Containerization and Orchestration track delves into containerization using Docker and orchestration using Kubernetes. 

DevOps students learn to work in cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing. They gain a deep understanding of the principles and practices of DevOps, including continuous integration, continuous delivery, and Infrastructure as Code.

“What sets our bootcamp apart is our emphasis on practical, hands-on experience,” says Adam Cahan, Program Director at Code Platoon. “Students work on real-world projects: deploying and managing applications, setting up CI/CD pipelines, and automating infrastructure. This approach helps them gain valuable experience and develop the skills needed for the job.”

“We have closely studied the current job market and industry requirements to ensure that our curriculum aligns with the latest trends and technologies in DevOps,” Chandra says. “We continuously monitor the industry landscape and update our course material accordingly. We want our students equipped with the most relevant skills to meet the available DevOps career opportunities.”

The DevOps curriculum also addresses the specific needs and challenges military Veterans and spouses face. 

“We understand the unique skill sets and experiences they bring to the table, and our program is tailored to leverage and build upon those strengths,” Adam said. “We offer a supportive network of instructors and mentors with firsthand experience in the tech industry and the military. This provides our students with a valuable support system as they transition into their careers.”

Both Chandra and Adam emphasize that the success of our students is at the heart of what they do. 

“Our ultimate goal is to see our graduates secure rewarding DevOps job opportunities, contribute to the success of their organizations, and make a positive impact in the world of technology,” Chandra says. “We have witnessed countless success stories of military Veterans and spouses transforming their lives and flourishing in the tech world.”

Jim Hennessey is Code Platoon’s Director of Marketing. Jim brings a strong background in nonprofit marketing and start-up enterprises to the mission of Code Platoon. Jim is a graduate of Clemson University and currently lives in Chicago. Follow Jim on LinkedIn.

Tango Platoon Final Projects

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The Full-stack Software Engineering: Immersive Tango Platoon completed their final group projects and graduated from Code Platoon’s military Coding Bootcamp. During graduation, the Veteran tech program graduates showcased the full-stack web applications they developed in teams. Here are their final presentations, demonstrating their working applications and describing the front end, back end, and product management tools they mastered during the program.

First up is Cypherpunk. Cypherpunk is an online game for people learning to code. The game presentation shows unique levels teaching intro coding concepts: beginning with “Hello World!” and continuing into strings and integers. It was developed by an Active Duty Soldier, an Army Veteran, and a Marine Corps Veteran.

Check out the Cypherpunk presentation.

BeerBuddies is the next presentation. BeerBuddies helps friends connect virtually over their favorite beers. Users purchase tokens for certain beers through the app, which they can redeem for a beer to send to their friends via a unique QR code. The BeerBuddies team feed metadata through an API integration to create this QR code. The QR codes are also encrypted through CryptoJS to prevent users from creating fakes. 

A team of an Active Duty Naval Officer, two Air Force Servicemembers, a Navy Veteran, and an Air Force Veteran developed BeerBuddies. Dive into their presentation below.

The next project–Behav.io–was created by a team of three Navy Veterans. It is a web application to help software engineers prepare for behavioral interviews. Behav.io features a database of common behavioral interview questions broken down into categories for practice. Each question has its own card with buttons to reveal an answer example and to save the question to a favorites page.

Behav.io also has an AI feedback feature. With the connected OpenAI API, users can receive personalized AI-generated feedback from ChatGPT. The feedback is also stored for users to revisit as they continue to practice their behavioral interviewing skills.

Watch the presentation by the Behave.io team.

Tinder Tots is the fourth project in our graduation showcase. Tinder Tots is a mobile-responsive full-stack web application created by an Air Force Veteran, Navy Veteran, Marine Corps Veteran, Marine Corps Servicemember, and a military spouse. Expecting parents can swipe through prospective baby names on Tinder Tots until they create a ranked list and emerge with a list of shared favorites to choose from. It was made with Python through Django Framework on the back end and Tailwind CSS and Flowbite component library on the front end. The data is hosted in a PostgreSQL database.

SHIFT is a tool to automate scheduling medical student volunteers for events in the hospital system. The scheduler can add events and the number of volunteers needed, and students can indicate their availability and sign up for specific activities as part of the event. SHIFT uses Material UI on the front end and SendGrid Email API to deliver confirmation emails to the medical students. 

Two Army Veterans and an Air Force Veteran developed SHIFT, and a real Chicago hospital system is currently considering purchasing the app from the Veteran tech graduates.

The last demonstration for Tango Platoon is VolunteerCompass. VolunteerCompass is a volunteer management web application for event coordinators. The app also allows users to register for these events and search for new volunteering opportunities in their location on a Google Maps layout. 

VolunteerCompass was developed using JavaScript on the front end in conjunction with the Google Maps JavaScript API. The VolunteerCompass team is comprised of Air National Guard Veteran, Navy Veteran, military spouse, Navy Reservist, and Air Force Servicemember graduates.

We’re proud of the incredible applications showcased during this cohort’s final project demonstrations. Congratulations, Tango Platoon!

The entire project showcase and graduation ceremony is available to watch on Code Platoon’s YouTube channel.

Advancing Your Tech Career after Coding Bootcamp: An Alpha Platoon Graduate’s Journey

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Almost all coding bootcamp students are anxious about getting their first tech job. Many without four-year degrees also worry about advancing their careers in the industry. James Wilton, Technical Team Lead at Procore Technologies and Alpha Platoon graduate, used to feel this anxiety. But his journey proves it’s possible to establish and grow a tech career without a bachelor’s degree.

“In my seven years of experience, practical knowledge is the biggest asset in tech,” James said. “Nobody I’ve ever worked with has treated me differently because I don’t have a four-year degree. They instead see my accomplishments and desire to keep learning.”

Like many Veterans, James actually planned to attend college after his service ended. 

“I enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2008,” James said. “I grew up in a group home. The military was one of the few ways I had seen my peers save money to pursue higher education.” 

But once James left the service, he couldn’t wait four years for a stable, full-time job. Feeling lost, he turned to his friends for guidance. His friend told him about a relatively new concept – the coding bootcamp. 

James explored this opportunity and discovered a Coding Bootcamp exclusively designed for Veterans. He seized the opportunity to join Code Platoon’s inaugural Alpha Platoon.

“Even though Code Platoon was a new training provider, what drew me in was the shared military experience among the students. It felt easier to connect with my cohort of fellow Veterans. I still talk to several of the other graduates from my cohort.”

Once James graduated from Code Platoon, he leveraged his military experience within the vast Veteran tech professional network. 

“I’d look specifically for Veteran recruiters at companies I was interested in and reach out to them for tech job referrals. In interviews, I’d share my unique skill set from my service—leadership, working under pressure, and setting and achieving goals.”

James entered the tech industry as a software engineer apprentice at Enova. He remained with the financial tech company for two years. Then he joined Procore.

“My career progressed organically from there,” he said. “I was assigned to a ‘bug smash team’ at Procore. We started investigating and found more significant issues in the code than leadership had predicted. I spent a lot of time researching and reviewing metrics.

“Because I became the subject matter expert, I began overseeing sub-contractors and became the Product and Technical Team Lead I am today. Now, I help manage my team’s software product, lead Agile ceremonies, and work with stakeholders to strategize the future of the product (and prevent more bugs).”

James is also considering returning to college, but this time for his interest rather than a perceived necessity.

“I’m toying with the idea of continuing my education, but I’d be doing it for me,” James said. “I’m always seeking new opportunities to grow my skill set. I went to Code Platoon because I was excited to discover the tech world. I’ve kept that mindset throughout my career. 

“I’ve discovered this over the years: no matter how long I work in tech, I’ll never know everything. That can be intimidating, but it keeps me coming back for more after all this time.”

Kayla Elkin is the Marketing Content Specialist at Code Platoon. In this role, she uses her marketing, writing, and editing skills developed from previous higher education and educational technology positions. Kayla has degrees in English and Sociology from Clemson University and completed the Study in India Program (SIP) at the University of Hyderabad. She lives with her partner in northern Chicago.

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Shaping the Future of VET TEC

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The team at Code Platoon understands the importance of working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure Veterans can use their VA Education Benefits to find careers. Over the past five years, we have been a leading provider of VET TEC, and I have had the incredible opportunity to shape the pilot program’s future. 

Adopting the VET TEC Pilot Program

VET TEC is an innovative VA Education Benefit allowing Veterans to attend high-technology training programs and find careers after graduation. The VET TEC pilot program began in 2019, with Code Platoon among the first three approved providers to train Veterans. One of my roles at Code Platoon is to complete all of the electronic filings to the VA and be the point of contact for both the VA and students.

I have seen first-hand how the VET TEC program is a lifeline for non-traditional Veteran learners eager to find a career in high technology. When the pandemic forced code schools to move their training online, Code Platoon was prepared to serve the increase in Veterans interested in our training programs. Enrollment spiked because VET TEC allowed these Veterans to train remotely.

VET TEC providers continue to see high job placement outcomes for thousands of Veterans. Code Platoon has trained 168 Veteran students via VET TEC. During the pandemic, our graduating class from January 2021 had 100% job placement within six months of graduation. Our remote programs have had the same or better placement rates than in-person.

Founding the VET TEC Working Group

While VET TEC is similar to the GI Bill, there are meaningful differences that approved providers have to navigate. To help improve providers’ understanding of VET TEC, I started the VET TEC Working Group in 2019. What began as an ad-hoc call among three to five providers is now a monthly meeting with more than 50 consistent attendees. Providers describe these calls as “the best training we receive each month.”

Representatives from The Department of Veterans Affairs also participate in the VET TEC Working Group. By creating consistent and open lines of communication between providers and the VA teams, we can address problems quickly and help Veterans use the VET TEC program efficiently. This collaboration has dramatically increased the success of VET TEC and positioned the program to become permanent as we near the end of the five-year pilot program.

Testifying for “Forever VET TEC”

I was recently invited to testify before the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. As the only VET TEC provider on the panel, I shared my unique experiences with Congress and helped write the VET TEC Authorization Act of 2023. This act, nicknamed “Forever VET TEC,” would make VET TEC a permanent program.

During the hearing, I discussed the history of VET TEC, the providers’ and Veterans’ experiences during the pilot program, and the opportunities to help more Veterans find meaningful employment as VET TEC becomes permanent. My full testimony and the drafted VET TEC Authorization Act of 2023 are available publicly on the house.gov website.

While in Washington, DC, I also met with Congressional stakeholders in the VET TEC program. I had the opportunity to advise the following:

  • Juan Ciscamoni, U.S. House of Representatives and lead sponsor of the VET TEC Authorization Act of 2023
  • Joseph Garcia, Executive Director of Educational Services, Veterans Benefits Administration
  • Schnell Carraway, Policy and Regulation Lead, Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Faye Fernandez, Counsel for US Senate
  • Kelsey Baron, Senior Professional Staff Member and Defense Policy Advisor for Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
  • Ally Cimino, Deputy General Counsel, US House of Representatives
  • Nicholas Ayers, Senior Legislative Assistant to Rep. Juan Ciscamoni
  • Katy Flynn, General Counsel and Staff Director, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity for US House of Representatives
  • Chase Bergerson, Legislative Assistant, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for US House of Representatives

The bi-partisan and collaborative approach to “Forever VET TEC”  illustrates the seriousness with which the VA, Congress, and Code Platoon are operating to ensure that VET TEC is available to Veterans for many years to come. 

Alicia Boddy serves as the Director of Partnerships for Code Platoon. In this role, she focuses on building relationships with partners, including companies that provide apprenticeships and preferred hiring opportunities to Code Platoon graduates. She works closely with the Executive Director focusing on strategic planning, regulatory approvals and compliance, and student services, including admissions, enrollment, and Career Services. She is the School Certifying Official, the main point of contact for the VA and students. Alicia is a Concordia University, Chicago and The Ohio State University graduate.