Orientation
(Approximately 4 weeks)
This phase is designed to introduce you to the structure of the training program and to prepare you for success in the following phases. You will learn about our two tracks and the career opportunities for each to help you decide which is best for you and to confirm your track. You will get a hands-on introduction to the essential tools needed for UI design or for creating a webpage.
Not sure whether you even want to be a designer or software developer? The Intro Phase will help you figure that out! Learning the foundational concepts of your track and the fundamentals of programming will give you a jumpstart for the next phase of your training.
You must actively participate in this phase to proceed to Phase I.
Skills Building
(20 weeks)
In this phase, you will learn the fundamental concepts of full-stack web development or UI/UX design, and then you’ll select your track. You will then be introduced to technical skills and concepts, and practice them by working on exercises and projects. By the end of this phase, you will be prepared to apply your new learnings to execute projects in Phase II.
Full-Stack Web Development
If you enroll in the Full-Stack Web Development track, you will learn everything you need to know about creating basic websites and applications. Throughout this phase, you will cement your learning by working on an individual project which will be implemented in three parts as you learn the skills to develop the front end of the application, the back end with static data, and the back end with integration to a database.
We begin with the basics of HTML and CSS, when you build the front end of your project. We then continue with in-depth instruction in the JavaScript programming language. As before, we rely heavily on exercises along the way to help cement concepts and build your confidence. Next, you will learn server-side technologies necessary for web applications that store and process data. Finally, you will add a database to implement data storage and user authentication, and your individual project will be complete!
Your hosted web application will include user authentication, user-provided data, use of a server-side database and web hosting. This project should be an excellent addition to your portfolio to show potential employers.
UI/UX Design Track
If you enroll in the UI/UX Design Track, you will begin with the basics of user interaction and design: how to build web or mobile applications that are easy to understand and that present information clearly.
Designers also have projects to work on. You will be given customer problems, and be asked to do independent research and case studies. From there you will formulate a design from wire-framing through high-fidelity prototypes.
You will have extensive practice using the user-interface design app, Figma, to communicate your designs to stakeholders and developers.
You will complete multiple small design projects for different types of industries. This will be a great addition to your portfolio to show potential employers!
You must complete this phase before proceeding to Phase II
Team Projects
(4 weeks)
As a final project, you will be paired into teams to work on a project together.In this phase, we’ll integrate our UI/UX Design and Full-Stack Web Development tracks to form multidisciplinary project teams.
You will collaborate with your team, creating goals together and helping each other stay aligned to project deadlines to ensure success.
You’ll have weekly mentor meetings to address challenges. Each team will present their finished projects at a series of Demo Day events to cap off the Phase.
Graduates will receive a certificate of completion in either Full-Stack Web Development or UX/UI Design and then can join the Reskill Americans Apprenticeship Program to hone their skills in a real-world environment.
Getting Your First Job or Internship
(ongoing)
Throughout every phase of our program, we will work with you each week on your job preparedness skills. We will host weekly Town Hall meetings with experts from the tech industry, as well as Job Fairs with employers interested in our participants.
We will also provide training in how to write an effective resume and LinkedIn profile, and how to promote your work on GitHub.
And finally, we will offer training sessions on the technical interview process, and will offer mock interviews with experienced developers and designers.
After seven months, our training program will end, but our job-prep support will continue: our resources will still be available to you, and we will help introduce you to recruiters and to relevant opportunities.
Community & Support
(throughout the program)
Although delivered online, our program is designed to be social. You will be paired with mentors and TAs from the beginning, and matched with a group of participants at your level. You will also have the opportunity to engage with industry experts.
Here are a few examples of our ongoing community support:
- Weekly Town Hall live-streams with industry professionals and former participants that have successfully completed our training program.
- Access to office hours with mentors and TAs when you need individual support.
- Coding challenges: get practice solving coding problems that you might confront in an interview or job application.
- Online discussion boards to communicate with other participants in real-time.
