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Firstly, it sought to provide substantial support to IT career changers as they made the transition from their educational background to new job roles within the industry. This support was aimed a...

Firstly, it sought to provide substantial support to IT career changers as they made the transition from their educational background to new job roles within the industry. This support was aimed at helping them overcome the challenges typically associated with entering a new field. Secondly, the project aimed to significantly increase job placement rates for these individuals. By doing so, it sought to facilitate a smoother and more successful transition into the workforce. Another critical goal was to enhance the overall quality of vocational training available within the IT industry. This meant ensuring that individuals undertaking vocational training had access to the necessary resources and educational support required for success. Lastly, the project was designed to foster collaboration and innovation within the IT sector. By encouraging educational institutions and companies to work together, the project aimed to address industry challenges collectively and promote innovative solutions that would benefit not only the participants but also the broader community.

The project followed an agile management approach to identify the best solutions as the project progressed, ensuring adaptability to changing needs. We fostered collaboration by organizing workshops and networking events, creating a platform for sharing ideas, knowledge, and experiences. To gather data, SHA and SuperCode conducted research, including 3 company interviews, 4 with educational institutions, 8 alumni interviews, and 66 survey responses. We analyzed this data and also collected best and worst practices from the institutes, that we shared in May. SHA hosted a Career Day and an Alumni Networking event, featuring alumni speakers, interactive discussions, and feedback mechanisms, promoting knowledge-sharing. SuperCode organized a community event, including the inauguration of an alumni Discord server, a result of our exchange with SHA on best practices. Lastly, all gathered knowledge and experiences were compiled into a guidebook, aiming to help other institutions expand their networks and improve practices.

The exchange of best and worst practices helped identify strategies for improving alumni and company networks in educational institutions. Project outcomes include interviews, surveys, and insights from bootcamp alumni, emphasizing perseverance, staying updated with industry trends, and utilizing offerings like job speed dating and coaching. Feedback led to recommendations for enhanced alumni support, including emotional assistance, better expectation management in challenging job markets, and a mentoring program. Findings and the progress of the project were shared mainly in monthly social media posts. SuperCode hosted the community event to also launch their new Discord alumni server, a project output resulting from collaboration with Social Hackers Academy. More than 60 alumni attended the event and the server has a total count of 108 members now and it keeps growing. The findings were compiled into the guidebook aimed at assisting European programming schools and educational institutions in building and sustaining strong networks to support IT career changers. It was presented at the final event, shared with other educational institutions, and made accessible through social media and blog posts for ongoing download access.