Coding for Veterans

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FAQs

FAQs

Coding for Veterans aims to assist transitioning military and current veterans with their move from military service into high-paying, high-demand information technology, software development, and cybersecurity careers. 

At the most basic level, programming is a broader discipline while coding is considered as narrower. Coding involves writing many lines of code in order to create a software program. Some more experienced programmers use the word “coder” as jargon to refer to a beginner (junior) software developer.

Those who have served in the military generally have the soft skills necessary to become a good coder. It takes a fair bit of time and practice to get good at it. Being able to follow instructions and stay focused are key attributes to learning coding. 

Coding for Veterans has an application form on the website. Once someone registers and confirms they are either in the Transition program or already Released we have them complete the C4V Intake Assessment.

The Assessment helps determine 3 things: if they have the general Cognitive Aptitude, Personal Motivation and Collaborative Personality traits most often considered core to those working in the coding environment.

There are 3 programs: the Secure Software Development Program, the Network Security Associate Program, and the Cyber Security Architect Program. These three programs move from a basic level to a more advanced cyber security stream for someone with significant directly related experience. Most interest is directed toward the basic level Secure Software Development Program which is a 6-month college program that teaches several of the most in-demand programming languages. 

All Coding for Veterans training is delivered online and asynchronous so you can learn at home at your own pace. The basic program can be completed in as little as 6 months and consists of four 7-week sprints of three courses per sprint. Intake to the Program is almost continuous, with a new cohort able to start every other month. 

We aren’t aware of any other group quite like Coding for Veterans. As industry members we started with a focus on the job and mapped the process back to the common skill sets of a Veteran or Transitioning Military member. The only metric that matters to us is the good sustainable job the Veteran gets at the end of the training we provide.

People in the military have significant training available throughout their service careers. They learn and develop many core soft skills in areas like: Leadership and teamwork, Structure and discipline, Adaptation to dynamic conditions, Commitment to the “right thing”, Loyalty, and Resilience. Coding benefits from all those skill sets. 

But one thing stands out – Security Clearance. If you can maintain your security clearance when you Release that has significant value in starting your new IT career! 

After the Intake Assessment and interview, C4V connects you to the College Coordinator, and then continues with a lead role in the Organizational Behaviour for Transitioning Veterans “Capstone” course. C4V provides industry mentors to help you in the move to the IT industry and arranges peer meet-ups – either virtually or in-person where appropriate. C4V provides industry news and insights to help you focus on the endpoint of your training.

You need to discuss that with your PSO. There are some programs within the military that may allow you to start the training before full Release. If you qualify for sufficient funding in the Occupational retraining stream you would be able to take the C4V courses with proper authorization. 

We have several employers tell us that they want to hire every graduate we can get through the Coding for Veterans Program! There are over 182,000 IT jobs that will be unfilled by the end of 2024. Organizations like IBM, TD Bank, RBC, Federal and local government agencies, even the Department of Defense is looking for this type of skilled person. 

There are openings right across the country. Some require you to be in an office work environment and some can be done from home – and others are a hybrid with work-from-home options a few days a week.

Job titles vary with the skill or specialization. If you want to use the coding skills to be a Web Developer that is an option. Starting out one might be a Junior Software Developer, or a Systems Analyst. If you take a cyber security specialization you may be a Security Analyst.