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GOOD PAY TO BOOT Toronto-based educa- tion marketplace Course Compare recently sur- veyed 500 Canadian software developers about their pay and educational background. Among the findings: most respondents didn't think a university degree is essential to do their job, and the salary gap between university and boot-camp grads is closing $74,482 Average salary of a coding boot-camp grad $77,913 for the average Canadian developer $11,750 Average tuition for a full-time boot- camp program in Canada BCBUSINESS.CA MARCH 2019 BCBUSINESS 51 designed to help students build a strong theoretical foundation, and those that pro- vide them with applied knowledge for the workplace. Traditionally, four-year university com- puter-science undergraduate degrees gave students breadth and depth of knowledge. Technical institutions like BCIT and com- munity colleges such as Langara College focused on applied skills development for specific roles within industry, commonly through one- and two-year programs. Coding boot camps are the newest entrants to the technology education field, coming into existence around 2011. These privately run schools offer immer- sive, narrowly targeted programs that typically run over several months and appeal to students seek- ing a quick boost to their careers. Vancouver-based Lighthouse Labs, for example, promises to turn dedi- cated neophytes into junior web or iOS developers with its 10-week, full- time programs. There's some overlap among these different types of institutions when it comes to the subjects they teach and how they teach them. All provide students with theoreti- cal and applied knowledge, even if they mostly lean in one direction or another. However, just as there's no one-size-fits-all tech career, there isn't a single educational path that's best for everyone. Finding the right one requires figuring out what best suits a student's ambitions, abilities and situation in life. Employers, too, have different opinions about which skills and credentials best suit their needs. Some companies want people with the PhD-level theoretical knowledge necessary to drive innovation, while others look for candidates with hands-on expe- rience building software projects and working in teams. ADVAN TAGE —UNIVERSIT Y ? UBC wasn't Waldern's first educational choice, nor her last. She graduated from high school in Calgary and started her post- secondary career at UVic. Waldern didn't know exactly what degree she wanted, but she thought a smaller, more intimate school would help her acclimate to the move. She soon realized that she wanted to delve deeper into the sciences and attend a bigger institution where she would be surrounded by more scientifically minded people. Waldern transferred from UVic to UBC after two years. She started at her new Do Canadian developers need a university degree? Have you completed full- or part-time studies at a coding boot camp? 12% YES 9% YES 86% NO 91% NO 2019 EDUCATION GUIDE MANAGING JUST FINE Matt Tomporowski had hit a ceiling as a video game producer, so he went back to school for an MBA in technology management at SFU