LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Local nonprofit Tech Impact runs job training programs for people interested in a career in technology.
Tech Impact encompasses large-scale technology projects and maintenance. For some, company training has opened new doors.
Samantha Gaxiola was a hostess in a restaurant at the Cosmopolitan Casino. When the pandemic hit, she was put on leave and eventually released. She said she knew she wanted a change.
“I worked in the restaurant industry, you become a manager and that’s about it, you know. And the cornerstone of salary is there too,” Gaxiola said.
Gaxiola does not have a university degree. Her search for a tech bootcamp led her to Tech Impact.
The Las Vegas site offers three workforce training programs, ITWorks, CXWorks and Punchcode. IT and CX assignments are free while Punchcode is tuition-based.
In the Punchcode program, students learn to code and develop a new career. This is a 14-week full-time course that prepares students to become a full-stack junior software engineer.
She was warned by the counselor that the program would be intense, but worth it.
“He made it very clear what it was going to be, it was going to be strenuous, it was going to be hard and it really was, but in the end it was so worth it,” Gaxiola said.
She said the course teaches you how to create web pages.
“There’s the front end that’s more in line with what we’re seeing, the images, and the standard workaround. There’s a backend that deals with databases, cloud storage and stuff like that. To become a full-stack developer, I’m able to do both of these things and it gives me a lot of professional opportunities,” Gaxiola said.
She graduated from the Punchcode program on October 1. She is currently in talks with a company that could hire her within a week, she said.
Tuition for the Punchcode program is $15,900. Nevada Regional Manager Leslie Estrada said there are several options for financial aid.
“One of the new features of the program is our revenue-sharing agreement, ISA model. , are actually qualified for this type of funding assistance and it allows you to not have to pay off your student loan until you graduate and find a job,” Estrada said.
For those interested in Tech Impact, you can click here.
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