Acquia U Admissions: June Session

Coming off of a very successful re-launch of their unique Drupal talent incubator program, Acquia is actively recruiting students for the June session of AcquiaU. During the 14 weeks of intense hands-on learning, students are exposed to a three-track learning curriculum. Content includes Drupal and related web tools and technology, Acquia products and services, and skill development in leadership, communication, team building, and best practices in code review, Agile, and customer engagements.

Participants are exposed to formal and informal learning through class lectures and workshops, independent and group projects, 1:1 mentoring with fellow Acquians, participation in the local Drupal and technology community, and job rotations within Acquia - all with the goal of securing a permanent role with Acquia or one of its partner companies. The program is unique as compared to other technical boot camps: Participants are paid to learn and there is a job opportunity waiting for successful graduates. A 2014 Course Report study reports that the average tech boot camp costs participants up to $9,000 to attend. We want to invest in our talent pipeline, and paying people to learn is one way to demonstrate that belief, said Ben Ortega, Director of Learning Services at Acquia.

The Winter 2014 re-launch of the program was quite the whirlwind of activities. Of more than 70 applicants, 10 were selected to participate, coming from a variety of roles like an industrial designer, computer technician, and an instructional designer, and from as far away as Oregon and Florida.

We selected these 10 people based on a very specific profile of curiosity, motivation, and the ability to learn. Their pre-existing technology skills were a consideration, but not the driving force in the their selection. Our primary goal is to find people who have the potential to grow into a long-term career in Drupal, but who otherwise might not have the opportunity to get hired as a Drupalist.

According to Liz Mackie, a graduate of the 2015 Winter Session, AcquiaU is different because you're onsite with some of the top Drupal experts, who become your mentors and your network. You're not just exposed to the technology but to the community, the culture and the processes that will give you a leg up in your career. And receiving a paycheck made it much lower risk for me to make a mid-career change than any other boot camp. If you're thinking about it, do it. Seriously.

The successful participant is intensely curious, dedicated, and willing to put in a lot of hours to their leaning. Because it's very hands-on and experiential, people will fail, but we help them to fail fast and to quickly recover. Not everyone will make it through the program. It's very intense and we have really high standards. For those who are successful, it's the sweet smell of victory and all of Acquia celebrated their graduation.

Acquia hired nine of the Winter 2014 participants into roles as Drupal developers, customer support and success engineers, solutions architect, and onto the Acquia.com team. Of the eight graduates from the 2011 program, five are still with Acquia and hold leadership roles within their respective teams.

To learn more about the program and to jumpstart your application, visit http://u.acquia.com