The next-generation of engineers will come from the East Coast as well, with a second Holberton School in Connecticut!
The Holberton School is a project-based alternative to college training the next-generation of engineers. It was founded in 2015 by French entrepreneurs: Julien Barbier and Sylvain Kalache. They realized that US companies, especially in Silicon Valley, were facing a lack of talented software engineers.
To fix the problem locally, they created a brand-new concept of education with no lectures, no professors. Instead, they gathered experienced tech professionals who became mentors for the aspiring software engineers and organized practical exercises to unleash the students’ creativity. Through project-based learning, students learn to work as a team to solve real problems: they work on industry-level projects and build their own applications. This 100% hands-on two-year higher-education program consists of nine months of intensive classes, six months of an internship and then a nine-month specialization.
An important feature of the school is the application process: it is totally blind and uses technology to identify smart, motivated people with a will to succeed. Hence, applicants are not judged on their previous education, work experience, gender or age. Results are there and current students’ ages ranging from 18 to 58, more than half of the students being people of diverse ethnical origins, and 35% women.
Last but not least, there is no upfront tuition. Students have the option to pay their entire tuition after they have finished Holberton School and they have found a job.
The Holberton School opened in January 2016 with a first class of 32 students. Since then, many things happened: in 2017, the school moved to a larger campus to train 500 students each year; the board of trustees of the school welcomed Stephane Kasriel, Upwork CEO, Solomon Hykes, Docker founder and CTO and Ne-Yo, the Grammy winning singer; there have been two editions of the summer camp for students aged 15–18, and most importantly, the first students got a job!
Today, the Holberton School announces plans with District Innovation and Venture Center (DIVC), a new nonprofit started by District New Haven, to open a second school in Connecticut in January 2019. This will enable Connecticut to double the number of locally-based software engineer graduates in just a few years.
At Partech, we saw the first days of the Holberton School, and we are very excited to see the expansion of the school to the East coast.
Sylvain Kalache, Holberton School cofounder, told us more on this new project:
Can you share with us some results of your new-style education system? How many students of your first class do have an engineer job today?
100% of graduates found a software engineering opportunity. Including students now working at Tesla, Dropbox, Apple, LinkedIn, Facebook…
What are the findings of your experience in San Francisco and are you going to adapt your system in the new school in Connecticut?
Companies love our students because they are prepared to take on a job right away and have a huge growth potential as they became lifelong learners at Holberton. On top of that, our students are diverse, from ages 18 to 58, 35% women, 50% non-white and people from all walks of life, coming out of high-school, former teachers, cooks or guitar players…
Why did you choose Connecticut to open a new school?
Connecticut has always been known for innovation. Specializing in the U. S Coast Guard; aircraft & parts manufacturing and ship & boat building. Technology-related jobs grew by an estimated 1,060 jobs in 2017 and contributed $16.2 billion to the state’s economy. In this context, Holberton will help local companies to successfully navigate the digital transformation they are going through by providing the talent they need.
50% of your current students come from outside California. Do you think that the second school on the East coast will alleviate the housing problem of the students?
New Haven’s low cost of living is also a big advantage. While the Silicon Valley provides countless advantages, the cost of living can sometimes prohibit potential students to attend the program. By opening in Connecticut, we are moving the needle when it comes to accessibility.
Thank you, Sylvain, we are impressed by the fantastic results achieved so far and we wish you good luck for the Connecticut School!
