The Skills Association Launches, Bootcamps Everywhere Rejoice

Anyone can (and many have) created bootcamps of all shapes, sizes and quality. As the industry matures, however, companies, consumers and really any interested party all need to be able to understand who to trust and who actually delivers on their marketing promises. As an association, we can establish a larger level of accountability, share best practices, and help each other to continue to make great strides in a still pretty nascent industry.

If you attended Tuesday night’s AMA panel, then you’ve heard the news: an international association of skills bootcamps has been formed! Created by three of Utah’s most prominent bootcamps — DevMountain, Market Campus, Startup Ignition — the Skills Association has been created with the purpose of bringing together skills bootcamps from across the world, aligning them in practice, standards, and accountability.

“As co-founder of BoomStartup, I was at the forefront of the accelerator phenomenon,” Startup Ignition CEO John Richards says. “When the Global Accelerator Network started and emanated out of Boulder, CO it became an important association of top accelerators that really helped develop the industry’s best practices. Now, with the modern-day bootcamp phenomenon, there is the same need for the same type of repository for best practices. I see no reason why this can’t emanate out of Provo, UT.”

It’s logical to assume that as bootcamps continue to rise in prominence, there is a need for standardized practices that assure students are educated in the best manner possible. The Skills Association is concentrated specifically on that, creating a network where bootcamps can grow and succeed by implementing tried and true standards and procedures.

“I think most people will hear this and will still be confused as to what exactly the Skills Association is and why it matters to them,” Market Campus CEO Brandon Hassler says. “But that is going to change over the next several years when bootcamp-style education continues to be taken more seriously. As more and more bootcamps pop up all over the world, there needs to be some sort of standard of excellence that people can turn to so that they can find the best education for their needs. The Skills Association will provide just that. The fact that an organization like this is starting in Utah is just one more thing that makes this state so great for tech and education.”

Utah’s tech scene is great — we all know this. Helping to bolster the rise of this success is skills bootcamps, where anyone can learn a technical, specialized skill in a relatively short amount of time. With tech jobs becoming more and more prominent, the need for quality programmers, marketers, and entrepreneurs is greater than ever before. So you can understand why ensuring these people are knowledgable and skills-equipped is an absolute must.

“The basic idea of a bootcamp is not difficult to conceive,” DevMountain CEO Cahlan Sharp says. “There are few barriers to entry. Anyone can (and many have) created bootcamps of all shapes, sizes and quality. As the industry matures, however, companies, consumers and really any interested party all need to be able to understand who to trust and who actually delivers on their marketing promises. As an association, we can establish a larger level of accountability, share best practices, and help each other to continue to make great strides in a still pretty nascent industry.”

Published 10/15/2015