Education_BH: Innovation and Excellence celebrates the remarkable innovations implemented in Bahrain’s schools and universities. We learned about these innovations, the process, the challenges, and the lessons learned from some of the leading educational institutions in the Kingdom. Read more in our latest issue.
An unconventional training approach that equips adult learners with skills to become successfulfull-stack developers.
Reboot Coding Institute, a fully-owned Bahraini entity, is revolutionizing the educationallandscape in the Kingdom of Bahrain by establishing a new type of technology institute. Theinstitute recognizes the changing paradigms in pedagogy and business expectations andprovides individuals with the hands-on skills and opportunities they need to secure lucrative jobpositions.
At Reboot Coding Institute, we offer Reboot01, an innovative and non-traditional trainingapproach licensed from 01EDU, a world-renowned pedagogy. This comprehensive two-yearprogram equips adults of all ages and backgrounds with the necessary skills to become highlysought-after full-stack developers. The method of Learn-by-Doing and Peer-to-Peer learning,which emphasizes a gamified and 100% practical approach, students engage in hands-onprojects and collaborate with their peers to develop their programming abilities and essentialsoft skills that are in high demand in the industry.
Unlike traditional education, Reboot mimics the real workplace environment, eliminatingtraditional teachers, lectures, and classes. Instead, students immerse themselves in practicalprojects and solve programming challenges. Students work on a minimum of 55 projects thatadd to their portfolio and their own GitHub, allowing students to showcase their capabilities topotential employers.
Additionally, Reboot Coding Institute fosters a vibrant tech community that welcomes techenthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds, providing a platform for individuals to thrive in theirpassion for technology.
Our mission at Reboot is to empower Bahraini talent to transform their lives by providing themwith high-paying job opportunities. Through our partnerships with hiring partners and globalstrategic partners, we connect our students with job opportunities, bespoke projects, training,and more, both locally and internationally. We are dedicated to ensuring that our students haveaccess to a wide range of career prospects and the support they need to succeed in the techindustry
How was the innovation planned?
Recent research has indicated a growing disinterest among the younger generation in traditionaluniversity curriculums that rely heavily on lectures, assignments, and textbooks. Instead, theyvalue project-based, hands-on learning, teamwork, peer discussions, online resources, and theability to engage in self-learning. They also seek opportunities for social interaction during theirhigher education.
However, the conventional higher education sector faces significant challenges in transitioningfrom its specialized and isolated approach, which heavily relies on textbooks and lectures, to amore interactive and practical model.
In response to these challenges, Bahrain’s Vision 2030 was developed to enhance thereadiness of Bahrainis to thrive in a knowledge-based economy and remain competitive in thelabour market. The development of the vocational/educational sector was emphasized to meetthe needs of the government sector and address the requirements of the labour market. Despitethese efforts, innovative initiatives to tackle these educational challenges, particularly in the ITsector, have been limited in scope and fewer in number.
What were the challenges faced during implementation?
Students may initially be hesitant to embrace new approaches to learning, such as the methodsemployed by Reboot. These approaches, which emphasize peer collaboration, self-motivation,collective intelligence and project-based learning, can be unfamiliar to students accustomed totraditional lecture-based and teacher-centred education. Additionally, the commitment of twoyears required by the program can be a deterrent, as it may disrupt personal lives and raiseconcerns about financial considerations and future outcomes.
To address these challenges, Reboot focuses on creating a supportive environment that fosterscollaboration and community building. By showcasing success stories and providingmentorship, Reboot aims to inspire and motivate students to overcome their hesitations.Moreover, the program highlights the practical benefits and career opportunities that studentscan gain through their engagement with Reboot, helping them see the potential long-termrewards of committing to the program.
Give us a brief assessment of your results:
Reboot has surpassed its initial student enrollment target within just seven months of its launch.The program currently boasts its first Cohort of over 230 individuals. The program is highlyinclusive with the youngest student being 18 years and the oldest 57 years old, with universityand full-time employees doing Reboot at the same time, career switchers like finance, andmedical professionals switching to Tech, as well as individuals even without Bachelor degreescan become well-paid developers and change their lives! Reboot has also successfully formedpartnerships with hiring companies and established a vibrant community for technology enthusiasts.
Notably, some students who have participated in the program have alreadyachieved employment within six months of their training at Reboot, demonstrating the program’seffectiveness in preparing them for the workforceIn hindsight, what were the most valuable lessons learned while implementing theinnovation? Could things have been done differently?Formulating a partnership with the university from the beginning of the launch was a profoundlearning experience for us.
