Earlier this year, we looked at the innovative tuition-free, peer-to-peer tech institute, WeThinkCode. Applications for WeThinkCode’s 2019 cohort are now open, and will be open until the end of 2019.
What is WeThinkCode?
WeThinkCode offers a free two-year course in coding and software development to applicants between the ages of 17 and 35. The institute does not have any educational requirements, nor are applicants required to have any coding experience prior to their application, making WeThinkCode the first tech university of its kind in South Africa.
Because skills training and development is conducted on a peer-to-peer basis, WeThinkCode does not have any lecturers per se, students are instead tasked with solving coding and development problems with their peers. Students have access to a tech-centric learning environment, and thanks to partnerships with a range of large corporate firms, students who complete WeThinkCode’s two-year course are also guaranteed employment after completing their training.
How to apply to become a part of WeThinkCode’s 2019 cohort
Coding is a complex affair, and WeThinkCode has a novel way of determining whether applicants have what it takes to work in this challenging and ever-changing environment. Applications via the WeThinkCode website opened in June 2018 and will remain open until the end of the year.
To apply, prospective students will need a desktop computer and a stable internet connection, but WeThinkCode announces regular campus open days on their social media pages to accommodate applicants who do not have access to a computer or solid connection.
Upon opening the application form on the website, applicants have to fill out their name and email address, after which they will be navigated to a page where they need to complete a series of three online games, specifically designed to test the aptitude for coding. Successful applicants will be notified shortly after successful completion of the tests, and are then invited to take part in a four-week bootcamp to test their motivation and ability to work. Successful candidates will be accepted into WeThinkCode’s two-year, full-time course.
WeThinkCode currently has operational campuses in Johannesburg and Cape Town, but is planning to open an additional five campuses across Africa by 2024. Applications for the 2019 cohort are open to anyone that is interested, provided they adhere to the age requirements, and WeThinkCode currently has students from as far afield as Ghana and Zimbabwe. The course is entirely free.