Twenty-year-old John Michael Baldonado has always wanted to venture into a career in tech, even taking the STEM track in senior high school to prepare. He was all set to go to college, but the pandemic struck. His father’s business suffered, leading to financial struggles in the family.
But these setbacks did not deter John from moving forward. He decided to try KodeGo’s classes to help his family out and pursue his dreams.
KodeGo is the online tech bootcamp of Globe’s 917Ventures. It offers short-term courses with no upfront payment, allowing students to pay with a percentage of their income after graduation.
“Fortunately, nabigyan ako ng opportunity ni KodeGo to hone my skills. I didn't pursue college. Naging praktikal ako sa buhay. Mas okay na mag-work muna. Since pandemic, ‘yung business ni Papa natamaan so financially unstable kami,” he said.
John made the right call. His decision to join KodeGo led to a career-altering shift.
Because of his excellent performance, John received multiple job offers with the help of KodeGo’s team even before he graduated. And at his current job, he got promoted as development lead in just six months.
“Sa KodeGo, three months lang mapi-place ka talaga. Sila kasi ang naging bridge ko to the employers. Overwhelming na nakakatuwa. Before graduation, ang dami nang nangungulit. May mga nag-iinterview na. Happy to say lahat sila binigyan ako ng offer. I chose saan ako maggo-grow,” he shared.
John encouraged other high school graduates and career shifters to try KodeGo if they want to penetrate the IT industry. The lessons are beginner-friendly and easy to understand, he said.
"Hindi picky ang KodeGo. As long as may eagerness to learn, KodeGo is there to help you. Ie-expose ka nila sa industry. Bibigyan ka nila ng opportunity outside the bootcamp itself. Guided kasi. Hanggang ngayon nga hindi pa rin ako pinapabayaan. Community and family din talaga,” he added.
John’s positive experience in KodeGo prompted him to inspire his father to also join the bootcamp.
Vince Yamat, 917Ventures Managing Director, said KodeGo is determined to raise the caliber of Filipino software engineers and address employment gaps in the country.
As part of the Globe Group, this is aligned with KodeGo’s support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which fosters innovation and infrastructure as economic drivers under SDG No. 9, and highlights partnerships towards achieving the SDGs under SDG No. 17.
“As with all our ventures, our vision for KodeGo is to give Filipinos an accessible upskilling platform that will equip them with the necessary training and make them more competitive in the IT industry,” Yamat said.
With the program, Yamat hopes to see more young people become front-end, back-end, and full-stack web developers. Students who apply for the program will learn via extensive hands-on experience, peer-programming, and building real-world projects. After undergoing intensive tech bootcamps, they are then matched with partner companies.
KodeGo is one of the business ideas taken in by the 917Ventures program for promising ventures. It plans to offer tech and non-tech courses in the future.
Last year, the startup secured SG$30,000 and recently landed a spot among top six finalists at the Singtel Group Future Makers Program, a regional social innovation and capacity building program that supports promising social impact start-ups with innovative technology solutions that help address social and healthcare challenges in vulnerable communities.
To learn more about KodeGo and 917Ventures, visit www.kodego.ph and www.917ventures.com.
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