Calgary company opens coding classes for adult workers

Coding company teaches new skills A Calgary tech firm has opened some new classes to help workers learn some vital skills. Alesia Fieldberg reports.

A local business has launched a new workshop aimed at helping workers in the city’s energy sector gain the skills they need to be competitive on the current job market.

Robogarden is banking on the big demand for technology jobs in the energy sector to help unemployed and under-employed workers get ahead in the industry.

Originally, the company focused on children to help teach them some of the skills for the future but now they want to help boost the workers of today too.

“There's a big demand in the market looking for artificial intelligence and full-stack app and web development,” said Mohamed Elhabiby, Robogarden’s president. “There is a big need now. It’s clear what is going on in the industry and I believe part of the problem is the skills.”

As a result, Robogarden has launched a special coding bootcamp to teach those important skills that Elhabiby says are sought after in every industry.

“We’re talking about the energy sector, we’re talking about banking, we’re talking about retail, everywhere. Automation, artificial intelligence and data analytics is a big thing.”

Students that are part of Robogarden’s classes say the skills they are learning are very valuable too.

“It’s an add-on skill that I can use to get back into the business from a different point of view, a different angle and help the recovery of the industry,” says Francisco Beltran, who has been trying to get back into the oil industry for the past three years.

Another one of the students, Nicole Woodward, says there is a lot she can bring back from the seminars with Robogarden.

“In geoscience, we deal with tons of info to describe the subsurface so bringing it back to that would be great. I'm also open to new opportunities.”

She also says the experience of learning alongside a group of like-minded individuals has been beneficial too.

“Being in a program for a short time with an amazing group of people where you can focus on the task at hand has so far been really great.”

Robogarden will be using the feedback from the classes to adjust the curriculum and then formally launch later this year.

You can find out more about the company’s programs on the official website.

(With files from Alesia Fieldberg)