Jobs that require coding skills are growing at a much faster rate than the national average for other jobs, and Burning Glass reports that there are already 7 million job openings that require coding skills.

But not everyone is benefiting equally from this opportunity for career growth.

According to a report from Accenture and Girls Who Code, the percentage of women in computing jobs has declined over time. The report projects that women will hold only one in five U.S. computing jobs by 2025, if current trends continue.

Coding Boot Camps may be one way to reverse that trend.

Meet Abby Thoresen

Abby Thoresen was always interested in computer science. When she was a child, her father loved that she was interested in coding, and he would enroll her in computer programming classes over the summer.

But as an adult, Abby worried about working in a predominantly male industry. As she says:

“I would walk into a new contract job and I was the only female…The team I would work with would be all male, and they were the coders. After doing this for several contract jobs, I said to myself, I want to be a coder but I’m a woman. How would I fit in? Would I be treated differently?”

Pursuing a Dream

Abby says that her father was a major influence in her decision to go to coding boot camp. In addition to enrolling her in computer programming classes, Abby says her father always encouraged her to pursue her goals and dreams.

Abby had read about coding boot camps in a Wall Street Journal article and saw an opportunity to turn her dream of a coding career into reality. When Abby learned that there was a coding boot camp starting in Tucson, she says she “immediately applied.” Now just a few weeks away from completing UA’s Coding Boot Camp, Abby says that it has been “an amazing experience that I recommend to any woman who wants to be in this industry.”

Abby’s father passed in December 2016 from brain cancer. Abby’s boot camp meets in the same UA medical building where her father spent his final days. She says she is humbled and grateful to be having this experience in the place she spent time with her father.

“Be Fearless”

For women who might worry about being one of the few women in a high-tech role, Abby's advice is to “go after your dream, your goal and be fearless. You’ll be surprised and realize how strong you are as a woman, once you become a part of this industry." She also notes that employers want to increase the number of women in tech roles, so now is a great time for women to pursue a coding career.

Once you make the leap and enroll in a coding boot camp, Abby says you should be “humble and honest.” In return, she says, “you’ll emerge as a woman coder with a lot of knowledge and strong communication skills.”

Abby will graduate from UA Coding Boot Camp on April 21.

About UA Coding Boot Camp

The rigorous 24-week UA Coding Boot Camp teaches participants the skills they need to become a full-stack web developer. Students learn HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, jQuery, Java, Bootstrap, Express.js, React.js, Node.js, Database Theory, Bookshelf.js, MongoDB, MySQL, Command Line, Git and more in a hands-on, collaborative classroom environment.

Are you looking for a way to start a new career or advance in your current career? There are more jobs in the health care industry than in any other sector, and that number is expected to grow in coming years.

Here are four training programs that can help new or experienced medical professionals gain the skills they need to find a job they love.

Build on Your Health Care Experience

If you’re an experienced worker in the health care field, these training programs are designed to build on your current skills and experience.

Spanish-English Medical Translator

In 2016, the average salary for translators in Arizona was $48,000. A certificate in Spanish-English Translation prepares bilingual workers to launch a new career in medical, legal or business translation. Medical Translation is particularly useful for practicing health care workers with no formal translation education who want to leverage their medical experience to start a new career as a translator.

Medical Legal Consultant

Calling all nurses! Building on your medical education and experience, the Legal Nurse Consultant course provides RNs and PAs with the fundamental skills necessary to advise law firms, health care providers, insurance companies, and governmental agencies regarding medical issues and to appear in court as expert witnesses. The course teaches legal concepts related to the health care industry, as well as the role a legal nurse consultant might play in litigation. New classes start every six weeks.

Or…Launch a New Health Care Career

These training programs prepare you to start a new career in the fast-growing field of health care.

Medical Coding and Billing

It is a medical coding professional’s job to translate what happens in a doctor’s office or hospital visit into a system of alphanumeric codes. Medical practices use these codes to track things like a patient’s diagnosis, treatment plan, and prescriptions. Those codes are then used in the billing process. Through the Medical Billing program, you will gain the skills you need to enter this rapidly-growing field.

Medical Records and Health Information Technician

The average salary for an Arizona Medical Records and Health Information Technician is over $41,000 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS projects jobs in this field will grow nearly twice as much as the national average through 2026.

With the move to electronic medical records and other computer-based health information systems, medical offices and health care agencies need administrative professionals who can navigate these complex systems. The Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist Career Prep course provides a comprehensive education in all aspects of electronic health records, including implementing and managing electronic systems, troubleshooting, entering and retrieving patient information, maintaining patient confidentiality, and other topics.

Learn Online, Anywhere, Any Time

Our health care career prep courses are all online, meaning you can learn when you want, when you want. With 24/7 access to class materials, online classes are perfect for busy professionals, parents and others whose work or family obligations make it challenging to attend scheduled in-person classes.

We’re proud to announce the launch of a live, online Coding Boot Camp, designed to fit into the lives of busy adults and working professionals. This 24-week program teaches you the skills to become a full-stack web developer in a convenient live online format.

How Live Online Classes Work

Students can attend these live classes virtually, from any location. Classes are held online in real-time, allowing students to tap into an immersive classroom environment remotely, benefit from collaboration with peers, and receive extensive on-demand support.

This format also allows you to maintain your current job by attending class just three days a week—from the comfort of your home, or any location. Classes meet weekday evenings and Saturdays.

What You Will Learn

The Coding Boot Camp curriculum is based on the most in-demand technologies in the Arizona job market, including HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, jQuery, Bootstrap, Express.js, React.js, Node.js, Database Theory, Bookshelf.js, MongoDB, MySQL, Command Line, Git, and more.

Graduates earn a Certificate of Completion from UA Continuing and Professional Education, plus they develop a robust portfolio of web applications to showcase their skills to potential employers.

Live Online Coding Boot Camp Schedule

Live Online Coding Boot Camp runs from September 22, 2018 - March 23, 2019. Classes meet Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30–9:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.