ALT-U OFFERS ‘HANDS-ON’ LABS, GROUP DISCUSSIONS

Without a good challenge, the growth that propels us forward in our careers is difficult to attain; and there is no better challenge than to dedicate one’s self to continued learning.

One could argue that the absence of growth leads to a failure to thrive, and no industry understands this better than the tech industry.

Consider both Apple and Google and the pace at which they roll out significant changes to their developer platforms. Every year — if not more often than that — both companies introduce new technologies and devices to the delight of customers and to the cautious excitement of developers everywhere.

Fortunately for Dallas, we have a host of resources to help developers and engineers alike sharpen their skills in an ever-advancing industry. In fact, I wrote an entire article on this topic alone late last year. Recognizing Dallas as an important technology hub, even more of these have come to place their stake since. 

The key to corporate growth and innovation is attracting and growing talent and Five Pack Creative recognized this.

One of these new development boot camps, ALT-U, opened shop earlier this year. However, the experience of the staff far surpasses the program’s one-year timeframe.

ALT-U is led by local development shop, Five Pack Creative, and features content from worldwide, leading iOS authority RayWenderlich.com. Individually, each organization is impressive in its own right, but together they make a dynamic teaching team.

It goes without saying that this is a big deal for Dallas. The key to corporate growth and innovation is attracting and growing talent and Five Pack Creative recognized this.

As a partner to a number of large Dallas-headquartered enterprises such as Match.com and American Airlines, FPC’s co-founders identified and filled a need to help local developers expand their skills. With an international partner like RayWenderlich.com onboard, ALT-U is poised to help attract top talent to our city who want to learn iOS development and also grow our existing talent base.

CLASS USES THE ‘SEE ONE, DO ONE, TEACH ONE’ MODEL

So, how are they going to do this?

ALT-U’s industry-seasoned instructors, including FPC co-founder Jerry Beers, have well over eight years of experience building mobile applications (i.e. they’ve been teaching since the App Store was first introduced by Apple).

Beers said ALT-U has employed the tried-and-true ‘See One, Do One, Teach One’ model “because it allows us to train the next generation of iOS developers” and prepares them to “be placeable, as an intern, entry, intermediate, or senior-level developer with us (FPC) or one of our clients — great companies like American Airlines, Match.com, and a lot more.”

I was fortunate enough to attend the ALT-U iOS Master class during the first week of October (I still write code from time-to-time these days). If that class was any indication, ALT-U is off to a great start. 

The class was much more than simply instructor-led exercises. 

The class was much more than simply instructor-led exercises. It included hands-on “labs” and group discussions about agile workflow and methodologies — the latter of which I know separates “masters” from the pack (pardon the pun).

Fortunately for Dallasites, ALT-U isn’t a one-time program. They have already announced new dates for all three of the program’s classes (iOS Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master) through 2017.

To find out which class is your best fit and when it’s happening, visit altutraining.com. If your experience with ALT-U is anything like mine, you won’t be disappointed!

[Photo by Lauren Hasson]

[Photo Courtesy Five Pack Creative]

[Photo Courtesy Five Pack Creative]

READ NEXT

Five Courses to Teach Anyone (Even You) How to Code

Delivering what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth innovation, every day. Get the Dallas Innovates e-newsletter.