Hack reactor acquires Maker square

The rise of accelerated learning programs

In my previous post “The rise of accelerated learning programs” , I wrote about the ALP phenomenon and how they were currently redefining the education industry by having employment as a main focus while proposing a  hybrid offline/online education model.

Debrief:

  • Hack reactor is an accelerated learning program that offers 12 weeks of intense, 11 hours a day coding workshops in response to the high demand of tech engineers. The programs offer you to learn languages like Javascript while networking with startups in order to find your future job. Finding you a job is ALP’s main metric of success and therefore their main goal.
  • MakerSquare have very similar in programs as Hack Reactor and their focus is very similar. They differentiate themselves from Hack Reactor by proposing courses on different locations as well as finding you housing during your program.  The cost of the program is  13,880$ compared to  Hack reactors 17,780$ .
  • Hack Reactor announced two days ago the acquisition of Maker Square in the aim of extending their network of schools. Maker Square will continue operating independently.
  • According to a recent press release “Hack Reactor has issued a call for partnership applications from individuals and organizations, and they will work with interested parties to determine best next steps to create a network of schools that empower students and meet market demand for engineers.”

What does this mean

We can see three major trends that marks this event.

1) There are tons of startups as well as major companies that crave for good software engineer. See picture below for Hack Reactor’s list.

Startup hiring software engineer

Hack reactor list employers

2) The demand for software engineers cannot be fulfilled by traditional universities. It is here that  Hack Reactor is filling the gap. This current trend is rising. A question if whether accelerated learning programs will disrupt traditional university models?

3) People are interested in accelerated programs mainly because they hope to get a job fast! Hack Reactor’s selling point is that you are 99% guaranteed to a job with an average expected salary of 105k/year. see picture.

Hack reactor employement rate and average salary after graduation

Press release quote

“The MakerSquare acquisition marks the beginning of Hack Reactor’s “extension school” program, a partnership-based model to share Hack Reactor’s resources with other new or existing schools. Hack Reactor has issued a call for partnership applications from individuals and organizations, and they will work with interested parties to determine best next steps to create a network of schools that empower students and meet market demand for engineers.”

It seems that Hack Reactor are now looking to create a network of schools to normalize the coding academy style. Because it is an expanding niche, it seems that Hack Reactor’s founders want to the entire market. Quoting Shown Drost from Techcrunch “If you thought it was dramatic when taxis became tech companies, just wait until it happens to colleges.”

Let’s see how Hack Reactor will evolve in the future and manages to succeed in other verticals.

Comment below to tell us your thoughts.

Sources

1) REACTOR, H., Hack Reactor Acquires Coding School MakerSquare, In text : (Reactor, 2015), Bibliography : Reactor, H. (2015). Hack Reactor Acquires Coding School MakerSquare . [online] Coding Bootcamp in San Francisco. JavaScript focused programming school. Available at: http://www.hackreactor.com/press/hack-reactor-acquires-coding-school-makersquare [Accessed 23 Jan. 2015].

2) DROST, S., A Wave Crests: Silicon Valley, Postsecondary Education And A Half-Trillion Dollar, In text : (Drost, 2015), Bibliography : Drost, S. (2015). A Wave Crests: Silicon Valley, Postsecondary Education And A Half-Trillion Dollars . [online] TechCrunch. Available at: http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/16/a-wave-crests-silicon-valley-postsecondary-education-and-a-half-trillion-dollars/ [Accessed 23 Jan. 2015].