Learner Testimonial — Skills Bootcamps in Software Engineering

Firebrand Skills Bootcamp graduate, Ga-Yen Dang recently received the Digital Bootcamp of the Year award. Firebrand has won this award for two consecutive years! Adding to the excitement, Ga-Yen will soon be a Firebrand Success Coach. We caught up with her to learn more about her experience on the programme.

Ga-Yen has had an interesting journey into tech, combining a love for IT with the arts and education.

She’d been interested in IT since childhood, mostly software and operating systems. In 6th Form, she took an A-Level in Music Tech; she loved learning to edit and mix sound. In addition, she studied Electronics, Maths, and Physics.

“At the time, I was really into Japanese culture and anime, and I wanted to learn more about Japanese robots and technology,” so she dreamt of studying robotics in Japan. To prepare for it, she decided to first learn the Japanese language whilst pursuing her love of music and did a joint degree in Japanese and Music.

As part of her studies, Ga-Yen took a mandatory exchange program in Japan in her 3rd year, focusing on learning Japanese.

After a brief return to the UK to graduate, she joined a Japanese Government initiative called the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET), a programme that aims to bring native English speakers to teach in Japan and bolster the international community.

As a cultural ambassador, she was placed in a city in the Fukuoka prefecture as an Assistant Language Teacher. Interestingly, there was a tech component too.

“To my surprise, Japanese schools didn’t use software to keep track of scheduling and other data. I wanted to help them. There is such a contrast between the high-tech Japan we see in the media and what happens locally. The majority of Japan is back in the 2000s; paperwork is very big!”

As an Assistant Language Teacher, Ga-Yen wanted to use technology to increase interactivity. She started with low-tech solutions; for example, she created visual novels and games in PowerPoint to engage students in class. Afterwards, she progressed to Excel and a new dual role called ALT-Prefectural Advisor, where she set up digital timetables to replace hard copies.

“My Japanese counterpart was calculating 80 attendance report sheets every day – by hand! I had to help her streamline this.” As a result, Ga-Yen created an automated schedule that calculates teachers’ attendance, days off, the amount of time they spend in class, among other useful metrics. After learning more advanced skills in Excel, she wanted to make the user experience even more seamless and decided to learn to code for real.

She researched many online resources, including Codecademy and Udemy. “Their courses were free, but I felt there was something missing. I felt having that interaction with a teacher would help me learn so much better.”

Ga-Yen then found Skills Bootcamps; many were expensive and it took her a while to understand that, like Apprenticeships, they can be Government-funded. “Perhaps it was the internet, because I was searching from Japan!” Finally, an Apprenticeship learner she knew introduced her to Firebrand.

“It was one of the best things that ever happened to me! I was drawn to the Skills Bootcamps in Software Engineering, especially Java, as it was related to games. I’d tried to create classroom quizzes and games in Japan and this could help me create better ones.”

“Unfortunately, the Java course wouldn’t start until a few months later, so I chose Python. The course content was really easy to understand because of the way the code is written, like speaking to a computer. Because writing commands was easy to understand, it was also easy to understand concepts, and my instructor said that, if we learn one language, we can use the same concepts with other languages too.” So, Python proved really useful!

Being able to do certifications during the programme helped too. “Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) and Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) were a really nice intro into the world of digital and coding. When I joined the Bootcamp, I didn’t realise they would be included – now, I’m an advocate!”

These courses also introduced her to Cloud Computing, which Ga-Yen hadn’t considered before and really enjoyed.

Due to her experience in teaching, during the Bootcamp, Ga-Yen became a real asset to her peers; “my education mindset kicked in!” and she helped peers during study groups. In March, her Success Coach, Michaela Flowers, nominated her for the Digital Bootcamp of the Year Award. “We went to the awards in Manchester; when they called out my name, the whole team was cheering!”

As her Skills Bootcamp was wrapping up, Ga-Yen applied for Apprenticeships and other roles, but one caught her eye more: Firebrand Success Coach. Michaela thought she would make a great fit.

“I really enjoyed interacting with Michaela; I always felt supported. The ‘Breaking into the Industry’ sessions with our instructors were really helpful too, as the instructors were really patient and open and shared how they got into the business. Transitioning into the working world is difficult; these sessions really helped. For me, becoming a Success Coach is a great blend of education and IT and a good way to step into IT as I continue learning and share what I’ve learned with others.”

So, would Ga-Yen recommend Skills Bootcamps?

“Yes. I would highly recommend Skills Bootcamps for everyone wanting to get into tech because the things you can learn from instructors, which they have learned from real-world experience, are much more valuable than studying on your own.”

Thank you for your feedback, Ga-Yen!