Dave Hoover's presentation from the Software Apprenticeship Summit. A step-by-step guide on how to create a software apprenticeship program to grow tech talent from within your organization.
3. There are over 1,700 Ruby jobs waiting to be filled.
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The average position takes 50 days to fill.
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Hiring senior technical talent is a major obstacle.
WANTED Analytics US Open Ruby Jobs - 1/15/14
4. Money doesn’t grow on trees
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Neither do senior software developers
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But you can plant the seeds to grow your own
5. To bridge your talent gap you
need two strategies:
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1. recruit great people
2. grow great people
6. Benefits of Apprenticeship programs
1. Grows junior talent
2. Attracts senior talent
3. Creates a strong learning culture
14. Mentor > Team > Owner
1. An excited mentor
2. A team willing to incorporate a beginner
3. A business owner who willing to fund it
Action: Set up meeting with each stakeholder to identify
and articulate the problem that needs to be solved
16. 1. Don’t set up a classroom
2. Gather a set of learning resources
3. Start hosting weekly lunch study group
“Great cultures facilitate ongoing learning while
static curriculums typically do not.”
19. 1. Mentor gives them a “breakable toy”
2. Should be worked on independently
3. Excitement for the project/problem
For example at Obtiva we used to…
21. 1. Define a 6 month schedule
2. Decide on milestone frequency
3. Set date for hire/fire/continue decision
Hiring decision should be based on your entry-level
criteria for developer positions
22. Milestone Meetings
1-on-1 with Apprentice
Hire / Continue / Fail
Oversight group makes decision
Facilitator leads a retrospective
Apprentice presents on new learning
Facilitator leads code review of pet project
Apprentice provides a demonstration of the pet project
Apprentice gives brief report on their work in trenches