[keenmaster]

When you’re the first large provider of tech apprenticeships, you want apprentices to stick around after graduation. The problem is that Shopify generally can’t force employees to stay (companies hate suing over breach of contract for education subsidies). One work around is to pay a low salary during the training period. That’s exactly what Shopify is doing (160K over 4 years = 40K per year).

This could be a cheap way of boosting Shopify’s workforce and reputation. Tech companies have high revenue per employee. If Big Tech follows suit with other apprenticeships, Shopify could be known as the company that made white collar apprenticeships a thing in the U.S. and Canada. The apprentice program would become less expensive for Shopify over time as it captures apprentices from other companies.

[ligand]

> On top of this, Shopify pays students' tuition, a competitive salary, and vacation, for a total financial support of more than $160,000.

From https://devdegree.ca/pages/student-experience. It appears that you dont get paid 40k. 40k per year is the total they will expend on you, with tuition being part of that.

[chris11]

It seems like a good deal. Carleton is around 10k to 12k CA a year in fees. So let's say 40k total for the accelerated program. That leaves 120k for about 4500 hours, averaging out to about 27 an hour. Sure that's not competitive with top paying cs internships. But they get a free cs degree, come out with significant work experience, and get offered this with little to no programming experience.

[xupybd]

I need to move to the states if 40k is a low salary for a junior over there. I started on less than that.

[oswamano]

I'd say 40k is a bit low for a junior with a degree and the states does pay some of the highest salaries for developers, so not wrong

[trogdc]

this program is in canada

[a_imho]

So it is a PR stunt.