Lighthouse Labs tracks alumni’s career trajectories in new report

Lighthouse Labs, a Canadian technical education company, released its 2022 Career Trajectory Report this week. This report explores the journey of graduates from 2014 to last year after graduation.

Jeremy Shaki, CEO of the company, which offers 12-week and 30-week bootcamp courses and upskilling courses in web development and data science, said the purpose of the report was to measure job growth, average salaries, and career growth. was to keep track of motivations, and workplace trends in the tech industry.

Findings show that 52% of graduates earn over C$100,000 annually within four years of graduation, 95% are in permanent remote or hybrid roles, and 2021 graduates will earn an average salary of $15. % Increased has.

Of note, 2015 graduates reported an average salary increase of 238%, while after three and four years, average base salaries for graduates increased by 62% and 77%, respectively.

“The message was that people don’t just come here for a job, they come here for a career,” says Shaki. “Knowing that, we felt the need to be accountable and transparent about how we were progressing toward that goal. This report is the answer to that question.”

He added that when the company was first founded in 2013, it took an average program three years to teach people to become professional developers. It doesn’t take three years to change careers when you need income, when you have life, when you have kids, and when there are so many things you can’t put on hold.

“Bringing together our 12-week and 30-week programs, our goal is not just to make sure people are productive the moment they start work, but to encourage them to learn, grow and evolve throughout their careers until they are ready. It was also to be able to keep doing it, maybe to make changes again.

The company contacted 3,200 alumni, of whom 757 responded. According to the report, they are now employed everywhere “from start-ups to large corporations.” They work from home or hybrids, some have moved between states and countries, but all have stable, well-paid careers and meaningful work. ”

The main reason for moving to technology seems to be the opportunity to work remotely.

“Telework has been a growing trend in the tech industry, but conditions over the past two years have made it more prevalent,” the report said. “In the meantime, workers have grown accustomed to convenience, and many do not want to part with it.

“Virtual offices have created a new channel of opportunity for graduates, allowing them to access jobs statewide regardless of their location. It remains a priority.”

On the other hand, when asked what were their biggest motivations for attending a bootcamp, respondents cited increased salary, the ability to pursue an existing passion for technology, the ability to transition into a career path with opportunities for growth, and a Said it was centered around the ability to transition to a stable career path. .

According to Shaki, tech bootcamps don’t exist to disrupt colleges and the types of data science courses that colleges offer. “I think it’s really worth taking the time to get an education while you’re young,” he said.

He added that Lighthouse Labs caters to people who may already have a career but want a change but want it to happen in months instead of years.

One example is our 2019 graduate, who used to be a bartender and now works as a software engineer. When asked by the report what their greatest achievement or success since graduating was, they said being able to move into “an industry that I care about and that allows me to live a better life.” I was able to travel and see new places. I don’t think I would have been able to do that if I hadn’t gone into the tech industry. ”