The Emotional End to Our First 16-Week Full Stack Developer Bootcamp

This week marked the end of our 16-week Full Stack Developer bootcamp, and it was an emotional journey for all of us. When Pete G and Dan first set out on this venture, they had no funding, no course, no students, and no sponsors—just a ‘’big idea’’ about what they wanted to achieve. Through every stage, they navigate uncharted waters, setting themselves the ambitious goal of creating a comprehensive and immersive bootcamp. They didn’t take small steps to test the waters; they launched a full 16-week experiential bootcamp right from the start.

Selecting the right group of interns for our first cohort was crucial. They have all been amazing. All nine who started, finished. They gave their all, committing five days a week for 16 weeks. This required a tremendous amount of time, energy, and sacrifice. The course was free, which was an essential part of their vision, but it meant that participants had to be available full-time, making it impossible to work and earn during this period.

As the final week approached, emotions ran high. Time had flown by so quickly, and we could see the transformation in each of our interns—their growth, confidence, and newfound companionship. The last day was filled with mixed feelings of pride and a touch of sadness, knowing that this intense journey was coming to an end. The event itself was a wonderful blend of presentations and celebration. Each group presented their final projects, showcasing both the front-end and back-end work they had accomplished. Their pride was evident as their projects looked amazing, reflecting their hard work and dedication. Charlie Hula was there to interview them about their journey before and after the bootcamp, and you can see those interviews in this video.

It was inspiring to see how much they have grown over the past 16 weeks and to witness the strong bonds they have formed. What started as a bootcamp turned into something much more meaningful—they all became good friends, supporting and encouraging each other along the way. After the presentations, we took the time to celebrate their hard work with a lunch that was both a reward and a moment to relax and reflect. We then celebrated with some drinks, toasting to their achievements and the incredible journey we all shared.

Three of our remarkable graduates are now embarking on exciting new careers at DabApps and Certn. This marks the beginning of their professional journeys in the tech industry, and we couldn’t be prouder of their achievements.

The remaining graduates are also highly employable, and we are working to help them secure equally promising opportunities. Their dedication and hard work have equipped them with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the tech field, and we have every confidence that each one of them will go on to have a successful and fulfilling career.

A heartfelt congratulations to Conrad Gregory, Elyas Faiq, Susannah Bennett, Jo Pickering, Nico Clack, Helder Balbino, Chloe Page, Sebastian Davies, and Kamila Wilczynska. You are all superstars, and we are excited to see the incredible contributions you will make to the tech industry.

Throughout the bootcamp, we were fortunate to host over 30 guest speakers who generously shared their expertise on a wide array of topics, including careers in tech, AI, software development, data, and product management. Another crucial component of the bootcamp was our mentoring program. A dedicated group of tech professionals volunteered their time to mentor each intern, offering guidance, support, and invaluable insights. This had a profound impact on the interns' progress and will undoubtedly shape their future careers. We are confident that many of these mentoring relationships will continue to flourish as our interns advance in their professional lives.

Thank you to everyone who supported us along this journey. Your encouragement, advice, and contributions have been invaluable. Here’s to many more successful bootcamps, to closing the digital and tech skills gap, and to inspiring more people to pursue brilliant careers in tech.

Thank you for being a part of the TechNative community. Here’s to a bright future ahead!