[jamesli]

Right! What we are trying so hard to hire are not programmers, but good engineers. For candidates who don't have much industry experience, we are looking for potentials. Some crash courses won't grant potentials to candidates. Speaking frankly, we expect the new hires to learn fast, to have a great jump after working with good senior engineers for one year. This one year helps the new hires to connect the dots of their knowledges. That requires a solid background, which can't be acquired by crash courses.

There are genius programmers who don't need a CS or related degree. They are exceptions, though, not norm.

[socialmatchbox]

Go read the literature on Hack Reactor. They double load their students with learning to code (better (assumed they are not 100% green)) and with how to perform in the job. They also help with interviewing 101 in an applied sense. Imagine getting a job based on knowing how to code, but without knowing how to pass normalized interviews that many teams simply assume people have insights and experience around.

I am not affiliated with HR and have not met them, but I like their approach on paper and could see it making a big difference. I have met people who have graduated from different programs. Some are ready, but that is largely a product of the person...not the program. I do not feel as confident about all programs generally.

I think what you are thinking is that people get knowledge, but not capability but things do not have to happen that way.

[RosieA]

Just a thought that comes to mind here (not really a response) is that yes, problems exist with training good engineers, particularly in a bootcamp format. Many comments below go into this. But we see a lot of students who are learning development as a life style choice as well.

Maybe sounds odd but the mission for these guys and girls is actually never to get a "job", its actually to build prototypes of their own ideas or start freelancing as a web designer, doing small sites for friends and families then sourcing clients and using it all as a way to perpetuate their learning.

I don't know how many bootcamps get those kinds, but its become the majority of our student base.

I think for these people in particular bootcamps is brilliant. Though the problem with training good engineers for jobs in established companies still remains.