Skill Distillery First Coding Bootcamp Approved for GI Bill®

Skill Distillery, a Java^® web-programming bootcamp, today announced that it is the first and only computer coding school to date to receive approval from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) to accept the GI Bill.

For the first time, U.S. military veterans can use the education benefits included in the GI Bill to enroll in one of Skill Distillery’s Java web programming bootcamps, a 19-week intensive training program that teaches students the skills they need to get high-paying jobs as developers and build long-lasting careers in the computer programming industry.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently more than half a million IT-related jobs available in the U.S.[i] In order to help meet employer demand, the White House recently announced the TechHire initiative to fill these openings by partnering with more than 20 cities and over 300 corporations and organizations across the country. The VA’s decision to expand the GI Bill to include coding schools will immediately expand the career options for the millions of existing veterans and the thousands more expected as the U.S. continues to reduce the number of active military worldwide.

In many cases, coding bootcamps like Skill Distillery offer an easier entry point to a long-term, high-paying programming career than a degree from a traditional four-year university, where the curriculum is often theoretical and does not teach the cutting-edge skills that today’s web-based companies need. Furthermore, most coding bootcamps focus their curricula on less in-demand programming languages such as Ruby that limit students’ job opportunities.

Skill Distillery, by contrast, focuses on teaching students to code using Java, one of the most popular languages used at the heart of many web platforms. Accordingly, Java developers continue to be some of the most in-demand, highest-paid programmers in the industry.[ii] In addition to learning Java programming, veterans who complete the Skill Distillery program will have access to Skill Distillery’s extensive employer network as well as ongoing continuing education opportunities throughout their careers.

“Providing veterans with the opportunities they need to build lasting, rewarding computer programming careers after their military service is completed is an honor,” said Bruce Batky, Skill Distillery Founder and CEO. “Their proven commitment to hard work, objective-based planning, and ability to overcome challenges is excellent preparation for the demands of a programming career.”

Eligible veterans, as well as anyone interested in applying for the Skill Distillery’s July 2015 Java Bootcamp can visit skilldistillery.com for more information about the program, the application process, and other details they will need to begin their programming career.

GI Bill^® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Java^® is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation.

About Skill Distillery

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Skill Distillery (skilldistillery.com) is a 16-week onsite coding bootcamp that teaches front-end and back-end web programming technologies to give students more than 2x the number of job opportunities.