Older Adults Are Joining Coding Boot Camps to Expand Their Career Options

AARP says more and more older Americans are participating in coding "boot camps" to gain programming skills and widen their career options, reports Money . This aligns with the increasing longevity of retirees. "You need continuous booster shots of skilling and upskilling," said Van Ton-Quinlivan at the Institute for the Future. There are presently more than 100 coding boot camps across North America, and about 23,000 coding students are expected to graduate this year, according to Course Report. About 10 percent of students who graduated from boot camps in 2018 were older than 40. Joining a boot camp now is a sensible move for older adults, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects demand for technology employees will outstrip supply by next year. Coding boot camps are less costly than graduate school programs, and they require a much smaller time commitment. Boot camps also are offered online, while many provide both free and paid classes so students can work at their own pace.