Holberton Wants to Be a Different Kind of Coding School

The ideal learning model in my experience is apprentice/mentor working in a close relationship.

The student can learn by observation and have their many questions answered very quickly, or at least be guided in the right direction.

Lazy learning is applied where you only learn things when needed, rather than in advance when you don't have a use case yet.

If this is really nothing more than an apprenticeship program I still think this can be a great model. I don't think they should use the word school in the name though. As for the salary negotiation point, most junior developers have no leverage (uggg ... I hate that term, junior developer, it is so arbitrary). I do wonder what the financial model is though. I suspect they are double dipping, but think it would be fairest to have corporate sponsors. Paying tuition for a non accredited school is a very big gamble.

UPDATE: Ok, so it is "free" for the first students. I put it in quotes because you must be able to afford not working for two years, which is hardly without cost. This basically rules out those who can not be supported by their parents or partners, and supports privilege being passed from one generation to the next. I would much prefer a paid apprenticeship model for those that do not wish to get a university degree, which while not free is attainable to all through deferred payment (student loans).

If all the students do is take this "bootcamp", then yes, they will be short-changed. However, if these students already understand that they need the four-year BA/BS certification to get past HR and are either getting that education concurrent or already hold a BA/BS and are looking to jump from whatever they studied into becoming a developer, this program is quite valuable.

My point is that if the antecedent is already acknowledged, I have no problem with this program. I work for a university as a developer. The shop is split with about 60% coming to development from other fields. These developers are quite consistent at delivering product on a timely basis with good support and bring a much needed broader background in terms of understanding and implementing the requirements of various scholastic departments. This broader base and ability is something my organization would not have if we were to insist on just hiring Computer Scientists and/or Electrical Engineering candidates.