A free training program in DeKalb County called Bubble Tech Bootcamp is launching its first cohort in early June, aimed at teaching the software Bubble, a visual programming platform that requires little to no code from users, to participants from the immigrant and refugee community.
The initiative, officially kicking off on June 11, is a partnership between Refcode, Tekton Career Training and DeKalb County Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry. Each program bootcamp cohort has a nine-week duration, will welcome 20 students, and is free thanks to a $50,000 grant from DeKalb County. Additionally, the bootcamp will be able to provide job placement assistance after the program.
Bubble is described as “a no-code platform that allows developers to create sophisticated web applications rapidly,” as well as a “full-stack visual programming platform,” according to Refcode, adding that it is an alternative to traditional coding and a tool of choice for “tech startups, small businesses and internal tooling at enterprise companies.”
This isn’t the first bootcamp that Refcode has completed; however, it is the first one in partnership with DeKalb and a grant that allows the program to be free for DeKalb residents. Normally, a program like this would cost around $2,000.
Refcode was founded in 2017 with the mission of helping refugees and immigrants land tech jobs in software engineering. Originally, they focused on traditional coding like JavaScript and other web fundamentals like HTML and CSS.
Brenton Strine, founder and executive program director of Refcode, said that Bubble will be an increasingly utilized tool in web development, and is therefore the perfect tool to teach someone with little experience.
“[Bubble] is an amazing opportunity because it doesn’t have the initial learning curve that code does,” Strine said. “So Bubble is a faster way to get to the point where you can do software engineering.”
Strine pointed out that this doesn’t necessarily mean Bubble is easier, but he said users can build practically any web application that uses a browser with the tool.
“I think 95 percent of the internet could be built using Bubble,” Strine said.
In addition to being founder and director, Strine is a software engineer and also one of the instructors for the bootcamp because of his experience as a Bubble developer. He feels that the Atlanta metro area is well-positioned to continue emerging as a tech hub, and said that he hopes these bootcamps allow for immigrants and refugees to be a part of that surge.
Refcode is based out of Clarkston, a city with the nickname “Ellis Island of the South” for its standing as an immigrant and refugee haven. Sometimes referred to as the “most diverse square mile in the United States,” it is said that 60 languages are spoken in a 1.1 square mile according to the city’s official website. As of August 2023, immigrants and refugees make up “more than 10 percent of Georgia’s population and at least 63,000 refugees now call the Peach State home” according to the UN Refugee Agency.
“I truly think that Clarkston can become a tech hub, with immigrants and refugees at the center for that hub,” Strine said. “This is the place to do it, and I think that refugees can be at the forefront of that.”
Strine is particularly excited to teach Bubble, as he said that the Bubble is not yet the default technology used in web development — but is confident it will be in the future. For this reason, the job placement aspect of this program will prove vital to program success.
“Bubble has not really taken off in the sense that every website is built using Bubble these days,” Strine said. “So the people that get in now are going to gain the experience that in a couple of years when Bubble is the default web application building platform, they are going to have the experience to get those senior roles in a couple years when it blows up.”
Strine said he has seen talent simply not have the opportunity to break into careers like tech and web development. In his experience, entry-level roles in tech are saturated and often require multiple years of experience; he has seen a Refcode graduate of traditional coding fundamentals go on to obtain a master’s degree in computer science and still struggle to find employment afterward because of a lack of experience.
“She didn’t have the privilege to work for free for two years, and while a lot of people may have that privilege, it turns out that refugees don’t,” Strine said. “With Bubble, the game is different; because it is so new, companies are hiring anybody who knows Bubble well, regardless of number of years of experience.”
He added he is more optimistic about this cohort than any cohort he has done before, largely due to the job placement aspect.
“Part of this grant is allocated for job placement and job search, so we’re going to be able to send the resumes of the graduates to companies that are looking to hire, so I’m hoping that we’ll have graduates who are being placed in jobs at breakneck speed,” Strine said.
One of the biggest hurdles to getting people signed up, however, is basic computer literacy and the language barrier. The program is conducted in English, which makes it hard to reach as many immigrants and refugees as they would like.
Still, Bubble’s place in the future of web development cannot be understated, Strine said, and he hopes to serve anyone willing to work towards developing the skills. In a friendly competition, Refcode graduates were able to build an app quicker than senior software engineers at a large tech company using traditional coding software.
While it is an anecdotal account, it highlights the use of Bubble in certain situations. Strine said. He hopes that over time, a community of Bubble developers and users will be built in Atlanta, which in turn will enable more support for immigrants and refugees with these skills.
Signups are ongoing for the June cohort, and a second cohort is planned to start in September. While it is aimed at immigrants and refugees, the bootcamp is open to any DeKalb resident; interested applicants can apply online. Many of the participants in the past have been complete beginners, and the most crucial aspect is that participants come with an open mind, ready to learn.
