"Although most bootcamp graduates I knew were applying to junior developer roles, I searched instead for well-respected apprenticeship programs."
— Taylor Keazirian, Software Crafter
From self-taught coders to junior developers looking to grow their skills and career changers, apprentices enter the program at various experience levels, numerous professional backgrounds, and with a myriad of personal passions and interests. Our emphasis on continual learning and collaboration builds multidisciplinary teams.
This apprenticeship is a great fit for people early in their software careers, and applicants have either attended a code school, taken programming courses, formally studied computer science, or are self-taught. Sign up for our Talent Community newsletter to find out about upcoming apprenticeship cohorts, and hear about upcoming events.
— Taylor Keazirian, Software Crafter
Apprentices are hired in small groups to foster strong connections and offer collaborative learning environments. Each apprentice’s curriculum is tailored to their needs, pulling from a matrix of concepts, frameworks, and skills we’ve identified as integral to a successful software development career. Self-study projects, pair programming, and joining client teams are all part of a program aimed to provide a holistic understanding of delivering complex software systems.
Apprenticeships typically span five to seven months, starting with a process that matches apprentices with a team of mentors based on the unique skills and preferences of both the apprentice and the mentors. In the first four months, you’ll build skills through mentor-guided self-study, small team projects, pairing, and workshops. Then you’ll spend a month working on a client project before completing a capstone project. After you complete your apprenticeship, you’ll be promoted to crafter.
Learn more about our interview process, our benefits, and what it’s like to work at 8th Light.
Over the course of the program, apprentices gain a foundational understanding of software development best practices, concepts, frameworks, languages, design, processes, testing, and more. With an emphasis on the importance of writing reliable and maintainable code, we cover topics such as testing, SOLID principles, and clean code. We also ensure that apprentices are prepared for client work by tailoring the end of their apprenticeship to preparation for a specific client.
