Due to the growing demand for developers and the current difficulty of the market in meeting that demand, Rootstrap University launched its 'Learning Camps' initiative.
These learning camps not only aim to teach new skills, such as the latest innovative technologies, but also to promote our culture here to the tech industry and the broader community.
The Rootstrap human resources team kicked this initiative out of a need to fill developer positions and a way to spread recognition of the company in the market.
When planning the first edition, we decided to do our first camp on Ruby on Rails. We did this because we currently have an induction plan for new developers who are just starting inside the company and using this technology day-to-day.
Learning Camp First Edition
This first edition started in July 2021 and consisted of a virtual mode where the participants had to create an API, an application programming interface. This edition included theory and practical classes, as well as Q&A sessions.
Each participant had a mentor who guided them throughout the project. In addition, participants received feedback on their project from the mentors by doing code reviews for each pull request they made.
A Fulfilling Mentoring Experience
As a camp mentor, I acquired soft skills such as improved communication and visibility inside and outside the company. Furthermore, I strengthened my knowledge of the technology (Ruby on Rails) by doing quality code reviews.
As well as this, I can now work with the developers we hired and ask them about their experience to allow us to continue improving every edition of our Learning Camp.
The Results
Since we started working on the Learning Camp, two editions of Ruby on Rails have already taken place. The first edition had 13 participants and a total of 33 pull requests.
The second edition had 35 people who applied to participate, with 24 participants, seven of whom completed the project with a total of 58 pull requests.
As a result, Rootstrap hired two people, one for each edition. Each participant who completed the project also received a company-issued certificate.
Since this allows us to become recognized in the industry and share our culture, we plan to continue holding editions using Ruby on Rails and new editions with other technologies.
Interested in taking part?
Could you be the next successful participant in Rootstrap’s Learning Camp? Would you like to learn about the latest trending technologies in the industry?
Follow us on LinkedIn to keep up to date on the next edition and we hope to see you there!