As originally published on Startup MGZN.
“Everyone in this country should learn to program a computer because it teaches you to think.” — Steve Jobs
Over the past decade, coding has emerged as an important skill that pretty much every student, professional, and entrepreneur can benefit from. That’s true even for people who do not necessarily want to take coding as a primary career choice.
This “coding-for-everyone” culture is slowly catching on in Bahrain and the GCC as well — especially with backing from regional platforms like GOMYCODE.
In case you haven’t heard about them, GOMYCODE is a startup dedicated to raising a new generation of skilled professionals with a firm grip on coding and computer programming.
We at Startup MGZN recently got in touch with the Bouhlel brothers, Yahya and Amine, who founded the platform in 2017. We asked them a range of questions about the core vision powering GoMyCamp’s success and the courses the company currently offers. Here’s a brief snippet from the conversation.
What is GOMYCODE really about?
Yahya and Amine Bouhlel co-founded GOMYCODE in Tunisia with the vision of tackling the pain points affecting the coding community in the Middle East and beyond. The platform specifically focused on bridging the gap between the standard training a coder receives through conventional education and the skill sets employers typically want. “We aim to lack the gap existing in the market job. We aim to fight unemployment by forming our students for the jobs of tomorrow and to connect the gap that exists between what the standard training offered and what the accessible job offers on the market”, shared the team at GOMYCODE.
Right from the start, the GOMYCODE team has worked towards building an innovation-focused network of people who are passionate about making real-life applications of their coding skills. Upon coming to Bahrain, they joined no other than the awesome Flat6Labs Bahrain to help in their acceleration journey.
A quick intro to the founders.
A large part of GOMYCODE’s success thus far can be attributed to the Bouhlel brothers, both of whom have leveraged their unique skill sets and innovative techniques to give the platform a certain standing in the global coding community.
Yahya is an experienced coder despite being only 23 (Yes, you read that right, better start saying Mashallah). The age-factor was hardly ever a hindrance for him given that he was recruited by a Silicon Valley startup when he was only 15. After working there for a little over a year, Yahaya got together with his brother to plant the seeds that gave rise to GOMYCODE.
Amine’s rich background in the field of business analysis was another big factor that contributed to the growth of the platform. On his part, Amine has led a pretty impressive professional career including in companies such as Roland Berger.
The vision gains traction internationally.
It didn’t take GOMYCODE long to get international recognition. Shortly after their humble start at a coworking space, the platform won the prestigious BlooMMasters program at MIT. That was just the beginning. GOMYCODE soon opened its first hackerspace in Tunis and then expanded to Sousse, Sfax, Nabeul, El Menzah V, Beja, Gafsa, and Gabes.
The quality of the programs on offer and the aggressive expansion throughout the region ensured that more than 10,000 users enrolled in various courses by 2020. It was around this time when the company expanded into Bahrain, Algeria, France, Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Meanwhile, GOMYCODE also kept forming alliances with more than 100 partners from both the private and public sectors, as well as colleges and non-administrative associations. As of April 2021, the company has developed a vast ecosystem consisting of coders, entrepreneurs, and enterprises representing diverse parts of MENA.
GOMYCODE in a nutshell:
– More than 10,000 trained students.
– 20 hackerspaces in 7 countries.
– More than 100 professional partners that recruited their graduates.
All about the GOMYCODE courses.
GOMYCODE offers different programs along several tracks including Web, Data, Game, Marketing, and Design. They also offer the following courses in the web track that students can choose from:
– FullStack Development.
– Front-end with React JS.
– Back-end with Node JS.
– Intro. to web development.
In the data track, participants are taught to build their first artificial intelligence (AI) program.
“In the Game track, students will discover the world of video games, get started with Unity and C #, and practice solving simple problems with code. At the end of the course, they will be able to create their first 2D mobile video game from scratch, such as Flappy Bird and Pong,” Yahya noted.
There is also a separate marketing track where students learn about the tools and strategies that work in digital marketing. You can get the full updated list of courses on offer here.
How does the platform work?
GOMYCODE relies on a hybrid and balanced approach to help students leverage their skills and knowledge to resolve real-world issues. Both online and offline training is available so students can advance at their own preferred pace without any undue pressure.
Yahya explained:
“We put resources into the learning experience of our understudies by giving a dynamic and “disruptive” climate for them to build up their aptitudes and skills. We offer them the chance to learn in a field that captivates them. Everything goes at their own pace and according to their availability to discover their place in a constantly evolving world.”
“Outside of their detailed e-learning section called Learn, the platform also assigns an outstanding instructor to each student.”
The instructor regularly meets up with the students to evaluate their progress along the learning curve.
Overall, GOMYCODE focuses on delivering a unique learning experience to each student. Not only are the students given extensive training in coding, but they also get high-quality and practical lessons in human skills of communication, collaborative work, and critical thinking.
Are you considering joining? What are your thoughts on coding and numeral skills in our modern times? Let us know on our social media platforms on Instagram and Facebook.