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For those who do not know me, can you please tell me your name on the count of three? One, two...
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Three! Damn, I'm never going to remember that.
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Um, before we get into the serious stuff, this is a jackalope. My understanding is that people were giving them out yesterday, and it followed us around.
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We had a Jackalope hashtag going for a little while. I will publicly thank on Twitter, or give a hug to anyone who can get me a Jackalope by the end of the day.
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So, no, not that one. That’s, uh, that's her. Petrus. So, um, this is not a Jackalope. This is me from last year.
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As we all know, there are three major problems in software development: naming things, off-by-one errors, and... I know that I was born to be a programmer because I got my name right and my chromosomes are off by one.
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Um, we also had some major problems in Tech in Chicago last year. There were no fewer than five Corys in the Ruby community, so I often heard, "Which Cory are you?"
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And we also have a problem with not enough women in technology. We heard a lot of, "Is that your girlfriend?" or, "You must be from marketing."
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So I decided to solve both of those problems this year because I'm an activist. I believe I can do what I can to bring more women into technology and also eliminate one of the Corys from the scene.
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So, um, this is me and IRB. Thank you. This is me and IRB. Notice there’s no create date; that's protected.
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If you're a front-end developer, this is me and JSON. I was going to render it in JavaScript, but I didn't know how many equal signs to use.
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And if we have any enterprise developers in the house, we have some XML here too.
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Okay, um, we're going to talk about some serious stuff today. I'm very passionate about learning and teaching, especially for people who are new to our field.
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Um, especially developers from underrepresented populations. In my work outside of work, I focus very heavily on people from the LGBT community and women.
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I've been a mentor at Dev Bootcamp, volunteered at Starter League, been a teacher's assistant at Girl Development classes, and taught inner-city kids an introduction to Ruby through a program called IC Stars.
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So, these experiences cemented for me how important it is that we be very deliberate and thoughtful about how and why we shepherd people into our profession.
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There are things we're doing really well, and there are things we're not doing very well at all.
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Um, we're definitely not close to solving the problem, but we're intrigued by it.
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Now, whenever we're in an interview situation, we say that we're interested in solving difficult problems. Let's prove it.
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There are lots of approaches to understanding the problem of onboarding and bringing new people in.
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The one we're going to talk about today is apprenticeships. I want to set some context; I want to talk to you about this unique period in history.
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An amazing time, a time of incredible change. The speed of progress is breathtaking.
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We're redefining ourselves, our culture, and our values. Boundaries are breaking down; we're increasingly international in our culture and thinking.
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Food is plentiful; the days of subsistence farming are far behind us.
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Jobs and populations are moving from rural areas to urban centers. International trade is booming.
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Population is growing, expected to double in the next 100 years.
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Market economies are outpacing traditional economies at an astonishing rate.
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At work, we're increasingly specializing; we're getting narrow but deep skill sets, and we're in high demand.
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Financiers from across the world are funding our ideas. There's massive expansion going on.
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We're radically redefining what business means.
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But we still have some problems we need to deal with. We have poverty; the line between rich and poor is huge.
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We have a vanishing middle class, and increasingly people are resorting to civil and religious organizations for social services.
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Younger generations are moving to the city, leaving their parents and grandparents behind, which undermines the family safety nets.
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Moreover, small government advocates are applying their conservative fiscal policies to social policies, further undermining these social networks.
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But it's not all dismal. These problems are very real, but we have incredible opportunities in front of us.
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Opportunities for success that were unimaginable two generations ago. The definition of what it means to be wealthy or successful is being redefined.
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The future is ours; it was ours until the Great Famine of 1315, followed by the arrival of the Black Death in 1348.
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So we're not the special snowflakes we thought we were. This is not a unique time in history; this is exactly what happened in the 10th through 12th centuries in Europe.
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So how did they react to changes in their culture, economy, and the demand for their workforce? That's what we're going to explore today.
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So, artisans and apprentices: creating a 21st-century workforce using 12th-century best practices.
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I want to begin by exploring how we teach young people in general. The earliest known form of society that humans formed is the hunter-gatherer society.
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It was prevalent across the world and actually still exists in many places today.
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Family and social groups were responsible for passing down survival skills and culture.
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Peter Gray talked extensively about this; he's a psychologist who studied hunter-gatherer societies to understand how children learn.
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We generally assume that boys learned hunting by going out with older men and that women learned to take care of the village by working with older women.
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What actually happens is that young people form parallel villages—villages within villages.
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They act out all the roles of the adults they observe around them, experimenting and trying new things.
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By the time they're ready to be adults, they have possibly innovated on the survival skills the tribe already had.
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There's a constant reexamination of what works and what doesn't work, which is crucial for transmitting information and culture.
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This also allows room for innovation. But as time went on, most hunter-gatherer societies transitioned into stationary communities.
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Originally organized around farming and later around trade, people began to specialize.
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The tools and technologies we used became more complex as parents could no longer teach their kids everything they needed to survive.
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Consequently, young people started being sent to specialists for training.
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The relationship between newcomers and established people ensured that critical expertise wouldn’t be lost between generations.
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Eventually, these relationships were formalized into apprenticeships.
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The earliest documented apprenticeships were established in the Code of Hammurabi, where it was mandated by law.
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As a craftsman, you were legally required to teach your craft to a finite number of young people.
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Apprenticeships continued to be practiced in Egypt for about a thousand years.
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Scribes and priests especially were sent to work with masters of those professions to learn everything they could.
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In the Han Dynasty in China, apprenticeships were passed down through generations.
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For example, if your parent was a doctor, one of the children would be selected to follow that path as well.
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People recommended that you not go to a doctor with less than three generations of medical practice in their family.
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The apprenticeships were crucial, as the master's reputation was on the line.
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Finally, in Rome, families were responsible for teaching basic morals and cultural values.
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But for professions, boys were sent to apprentices to learn their craft.
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By the time apprenticeships reached 12th century Europe, they were fairly established.
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By the 14th century in England, apprenticeships became a requirement to practice your trade.
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We cannot talk about apprenticeships in Europe without discussing guilds.
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Merchants were the first professionals to form guilds. The word 'guild' comes from 'gilden', a Saxon word meaning 'to pay'.
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This referred to the fees that merchants would pay for mutual protection, especially during their travels.
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Artisans soon followed suit; by the 12th century, fraternal orders of artisans had sprung up across Europe.
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Guilds aimed to establish standards, allowing only craftspeople with appropriate skill sets to practice and run their businesses.
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They promoted high-quality practices to create set expectations of quality for any given craftsman.
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This prevented people from going to other cities or towns, hiring craftspeople from outside rather than the locals.
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Essentially, guilds were about protecting vested interests—dividing markets, limiting competition.
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They ensured that any practitioner in a particular urban area was the sole practitioner of a given craft.
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So, they were essentially associations of employers that banded together to establish monopolies.
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However, they had some positive side effects that were accidents—not designed.
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To discuss the positives and negatives of the guild system, let’s explore the story of a couple of apprentices.
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The first one we're going to meet is Peter. Peter is from a rural area; his dad was a merchant.
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His parents wanted him to have a better life than he did; they wanted him to become a man of the cloth.
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They were aiming for the priesthood, but Peter was more interested in building churches than preaching.
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After a lot of wrangling with his parents, he finally talked them into signing him up for an apprenticeship with Theodore, a master stonemason.
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His parents had to sign an indenture agreement, which mandated that for two years, Peter would work for Theodore.
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In exchange, he could not leave, seek another master, or marry. In return, Theodore would provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical help.
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This was not just a teacher-student relationship; the master did his work, while the apprentice imitated it.
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Starting out with crude attempts, the apprentice gradually became better over many months.
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One day, Peter had an idea: he felt uncomfortable using the mallet he employed for stone-cutting tasks.
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He devised an improved design for this mallet and spent nights for about a week working on it.
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Very proud of his work, he went to show it to his master the next day. Unfortunately, his master was not happy at all.
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He beat Peter for innovating; Peter was supposed to learn the craft, imitate it, and perfect it—not innovate.
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So, this guild system, this apprenticeship system, tended to be very technologically conservative.
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The next winter, Peter fell ill and was unable to work. Theodore paid for a doctor to visit him and for the herbs needed to break his fever.
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Eventually, he returned to work as his last two years of indentureship came to an end.
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He was introduced to the Master's Guild, which sent him to another city to work under a different master as a journeyman.
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At a brief ceremony, there was a brief test, and Peter knew he was no longer an apprentice; he was now a journeyman.
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He spent the next few years traveling and working for various masters. At one city, he was honored with the task of building an archway for the prior.
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After completing it, he was very proud and asked his master to consider it a Masterwork.
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In this context, a Masterwork means that if a journeyman completes one and receives a master's recommendation, they wouldn't be tested by the local guild.
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Essentially, they would have a letter of passage that allowed them to practice their profession.
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However, the master declined the offer, leaving Peter very upset.
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He spent the next few years traveling from city to city, wherever the guild ordered him to go, working as directed.
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In time, Peter found out that his master Theodore was on his deathbed. He traveled home to say goodbye and comfort his master.
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In a parting gesture, his master recommended to the local guild that Peter be admitted as a master craftsman.
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As a master stonemason, he was able to take over his master’s operation, continue his business, and practice in the city near his home.
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In time, he had his own apprentices, and the legacy continued.
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Now, let's switch to modern day. This is Ethan Woodward, a kid from Indiana.
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His parents wanted him to go to school and become an MBA, but he wanted to get into software and have a startup.
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So, he dropped out of college, moved to Chicago, and got a job in tech support.
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He tried learning programming on his own, using online resources and books, but thought he needed something more structured.
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He heard about a boot camp starting in Chicago, applied, and unlike most applicants, he got accepted.
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For the next month, he read as much as he could and set up his computer for development.
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Finally, the boot camp started: he spent about 11 or 12 hours a day in class and another four to six hours with classmates working on special projects.
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He was learning new tools and techniques but didn’t have time to stop and ask why or what or how.
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Everything was very rote: you have to do this, next you have to do that, and then this.
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Weeks went by without a good night's sleep. He worked himself very hard and got sick.
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His instructors were accommodating but began to doubt his ability to keep up with the class.
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So, they arranged for him to join the next cohort. He formed strong bonds with the other students in his cohort.
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He also met several prominent developers from local companies who came in to give talks.
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When he finished the program, they had their job fair, and he got hired at a local startup for a decent salary.
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He was on a team with two other juniors and one mid-level developer.
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Because it was a startup, they were racing to the finish line constantly, trying to get the product out and build on new features.
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There wasn’t much time for him to train or work with the mid-level developer to learn new skills.
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He worked there for about a year, and then, of course, the startup went out of business.
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Eventually, he got hired at a larger, more established company. The team was much larger, the pressure lower, and the pace of work much lighter.
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However, there was no support at this organization for ongoing learning.
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He was really left to fend for himself. He eventually rose to become a mid-level developer and then a team lead.
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He was relatively satisfied with his career, but he grew tired of the long hours and lack of fulfillment.
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He became a project manager and left behind his dreams of building his business and being a developer.
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This was largely due to lack of support from his peers, community, and employer for ongoing growth and education.
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Apprenticeships today are not the same as they were in the 12th century, but there are definitely some strong similarities.
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The initial investment in becoming an apprentice; medieval apprentices were often children sent off to work with a master.
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However, families had to pay a very high fee to have their child taken on as an apprentice.
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Only upper middle-class or wealthy families could afford to pay this fee.
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Today, we find similar tuition fees that average $12,000 to $14,000 for software boot camps.
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When you were an apprentice in the 12th century, you did not have any free time; you were not allowed to socialize.
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Today, you could, but it's impractical because of the hours you have to invest in boot camp.
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In the 12th century, there was formal training provided. You knew your position in the hierarchy.
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You understood what you had to achieve to climb the ladder.
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In modern times, training is often informal; you're lucky if you get any on-the-job training.
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You're fortunate if you get a mentor willing to help you learn and grow.
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In the early stages of your apprenticeship at a boot camp, you had complete needs covered.
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In the 12th century, you had everything provided for: room, board, food, clothing, and medical care.
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Today, we don’t do that for newcomers entering our profession. Training often involves informal mentoring.
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A lot of boot camps try to match students with mentors, but maintaining long-term relationships is a challenge.
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A few years ago, I worked with a junior developer who expressed anger at the disparity in our titles.
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He asked, "Why am I just a junior developer while you're a senior developer? What's the difference?" I was stunned.
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I didn't know how to answer him, except to say I've been doing this longer and I have more experience.
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This highlights a problem: we lack clear distinctions between levels of experience and expertise.
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We guess what jobs we can apply for, trying for senior positions to see if they believe we're qualified.
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In the 12th century, there were clear hierarchies; you had well-defined goals to achieve.
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Let's talk about boot camps. Guilds provided formal systems for onboarding into careers.
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Today, we have colleges and boot camps responding to the increasing demand for development.
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In 2002, there were an estimated 600,000 software development jobs; by 2012, there were over a million.
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The growth is projected to be 22% by the US government. As the half-life of technology shortens, universities struggle to adjust their curricula.
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As a result, students are often graduating without the skills necessary for their jobs.
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 27% of college graduates end up with a job related to their degree.
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As technology jobs become more lucrative, many are transitioning into software development.
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We see intensive boot camp programs springing up, both in the US and abroad.
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Costs average around $1,000 per week for 9 to 12 weeks, with some boot camps claiming over 80% placement rates.
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This is quite an improvement compared to the 27% university statistics.
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Boot camps have short cycles, allowing them to iterate on their curricula frequently.
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They adjust to new tools and technologies based on the local employers' needs.
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However, most boot camp students look like young 20-something white males.
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There are very few women and very few people of color entering boot camps. Some of this is due to costs and time investment.
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If you have family responsibilities, taking 12 to 16 hours a day for 12 weeks is impractical.
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FOR people supporting families, taking time off without pay is a challenge. Boot camps are selecting from a privileged class.
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Some boot camps have begun offering scholarships and women-only programs, but we’re not where we need to be.
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Payment methods vary; some boot camps accept payment only after candidates are hired, taking around 20% of annual salaries.
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Others refund parts of tuition upon job placement, and there are scholarship options.
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State regulators are beginning to scrutinize boot camps due to lack of standardization and success rate documentation.
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What happens if a student spends $12,000 and doesn't get a job? Is the boot camp liable?
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It's interesting to note that graduates tend to favor regulation of boot camps, wanting to preserve their reputation.
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Most boot camps resist regulation, believing it could slow them down, placing them alongside universities.
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The dynamics of guilds and boot camps reveal that they both aim for establishing baseline standards.
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They address the minimum qualifications to perform in specific roles, responding to local employers' demands.
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Boot camps do not operate in a vacuum. They closely align with hiring organizations in their areas.
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They aim to transmit training information across generations, preserving field knowledge.
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They want not just to meet demand but also to manage it, controlling the job market and applicant demographics.
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Guilds and boot camps share problems of competition.
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In the guild system, if you were a stonemason, consumers had to choose between guilds; the same applies to boot camps.
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If you are an employer, which candidates do you trust? Which boot camps do you want to hire from?
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With no standardization, competition is inherent; both guilds and boot camps take a conservative approach.
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While boot camps iterate on curricula frequently, they can be limited by the need to retrain staff.
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They may tend to prioritize the lowest common denominator and most in-demand technologies.
00:21:07.440
In talking about privilege, we note that both guilds and boot camps draw from accessible populations.
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This is a significant concern; who can afford $1,000 a week and forgo earnings for 9 to 12 weeks?
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It's not average or underprivileged people but largely those from wealthy families.
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The social capital of shared norms, social enforcement, and communal experiences creates a strong network effect.
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Individuals who share the boot camp process may exclude those who did not share the same experiences.
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This can lead to a monoculture, where members share similar backgrounds and hesitate to incorporate outsiders' ideas.
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One of the most concerning aspects of a monoculture is the emergence of an oligarchy.
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Oligarchies and monocultures create artificial distinctions among people, perpetuating the notion that mastery is achievable.
00:22:03.600
They assign people different standing within the developer class system.
00:22:10.240
The class system privileges senior community members, endowing them with significant power.
00:22:17.440
It insulates them from personal responsibility and amplifies their voices, making them difficult to challenge.
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This power means that those who criticize the status quo can find their dissent muted.
00:22:31.000
What we need is to teach not just technical skills like JavaScript or Ruby.
00:22:37.440
We must also teach values-driven development, helping new people articulate their values.
00:22:44.200
Encourage authenticity and assure them that they don’t have to compromise their values for success.
00:22:50.640
Healthy communities thrive on dialogue. If everyone agrees, it's not a community; it’s an echo chamber.
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Critics tend to be sidelined, yielding power to the status quo.
00:23:04.240
When you witness someone standing for values or expressing disappointment, favor and amplify their voice.
00:23:11.040
We must all hold our leaders accountable when they express discriminatory or offensive views.
00:23:18.720
No one is above scrutiny. Our most essential duty is to share values with new generations.
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Our community’s essence will erode unless we actively pass our values onto newcomers.
00:23:31.679
Your values are your most crucial legacy, not just your code.
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How can we improve apprenticeships? We can establish best practices to help newcomers master necessary tools.
00:23:45.280
They should also understand why they use the tools, encouraging contributions back to the projects.
00:23:52.080
We should focus more on problem-solving rather than just specific technologies.
00:23:58.720
As experienced practitioners, we must be open to inquiries and new ideas from newcomers.
00:24:05.840
Lastly, we should establish clear success criteria so people know their importance and expectations.
00:24:12.960
Long-term mentoring relationships should guide individuals through their careers.
00:24:20.080
Now, how can we enhance boot camps? We can increase diversity by lowering financial barriers.
00:24:26.360
Providing flexible schedules and directly reaching out to underrepresented communities says, 'You're welcome here.'
00:24:32.760
Encouraging exploration, questioning the status quo, and supporting innovation, like children in hunter-gatherer societies.
00:24:38.960
Employers can provide sponsorship to students in boot camps; it benefits everyone.
00:24:46.120
Instead of social gatherings, how about sponsoring students going through boot camps?
00:24:52.200
Providing health care to those entering the profession is vital.
00:24:59.680
You cannot learn, grow, or work effectively while worrying about medical costs.
00:25:06.840
Finally, ongoing learning opportunities should be made available beyond job placements.
00:25:13.760
It's essential to support professionals in their continued growth.
00:25:20.800
Let's help each other maximize the potential of our exciting era of change.
00:25:27.520
Let's reach out to newcomers and offer our support.
00:25:34.080
We must create resources for learning, experimentation and growth.
00:25:41.760
Most importantly, let’s hold our leaders accountable as representatives of our values.
00:25:50.400
We hope to achieve values that we’ve carefully crafted and articulated.
00:25:57.080
Once more, we find ourselves in an exciting era—an era of great change. Let’s get it right this time.
