As WeWork continues its massive co-working expansion across the Seattle area, it is also bringing a new coding bootcamp school to the region. WeWork-owned Flatiron School will launch two 15-week coding courses at WeWork’s 1411 4th Ave. downtown Seattle building in early 2019. This is the first west coast location for Flatiron School, which started six years ago in New York City and now operates in-person coding bootcamps in NYC, London, Houston, Atlanta, and Washington D.C. WeWork acquired the company in October 2017. Flatiron is among a growing batch of companies that offer an alternative to traditional software education routes. There are more than 100 bootcamp providers across the U.S. and Canada, and the coding bootcamp industry is expected to grow by 20 percent to an estimated 20,316 graduates this year, according to a study by Course Report. “Compared to traditional education options, coding bootcamps provide students with a more efficient way to learn skills and the in-demand technologies that all different types of companies increasingly need,” said Adam Enbar, co-founder and CEO of Flatiron School. In Seattle, other coding bootcamps include Coding Dojo, Code Fellows, General Assembly, Epicodus, and several more. Flatiron differentiates itself by offering a money-back guarantee: graduates that meet its job search requirements and don’t receive a job within 180 days are eligible for a full tuition waiver. The bootcamp will offer its inaugural 15-week Data Science Immersive and Software Engineering Immersive courses in Seattle for $10,000; it typically charges $15,000. Flatiron provides scholarships and tuition financing through different loan providers. Flatiron also offers online courses via Learn.co. The company employs more than 200 people. WeWork, meanwhile, will have 1.5 million square feet of co-working space spread across 14 buildings around Seattle by early next year. It is also opening its first west coast incubator in Seattle this month, another example of the company’s expansion beyond providing a physical place to work. WeWork is now one of the highest-valued U.S. startups and raised $1 billion last month. Reuters reported that WeWork paid $40 million to acquire Flatiron School, which now offers course discounts to WeWork members and free access to WeWork employees. Flatiron’s online students now also get WeWork hot desk memberships included with their tuition. “WeWork and Flatiron School have similar missions focused on harnessing the power of community,” Enbar said. “We came together because we both believe that revolutionizing the way things are done – with work and with education – will help people do what they love. By joining WeWork, we’ve been given the space to grow and leverage its global footprint to expand educational access to even more students around the world.”
WeWork is launching Flatiron School, the coding school it acquired in October 2017, in Seattle. Flatiron School is one of more than 100 coding bootcamp providers in the US and Canada, and Seattle is its first location on the west coast. The first 15-week coding courses – Immersive Data Science Bootcamp and Immersive Software Engineering Bootcamp – will start at WeWork’s centre at 1411 4th Avenue, in the downtown area of the city, early next year.