HiCoder, An Indian EdTech startup based in HiTech City, Hyderabad, India is helping job seekers and job changers learn software engineering and get a job in the industry by skilling the most demanding technologies and getting them hired.
HiCoder has a unique approach to fulfill the goal of skilling students for the industry and combines skilling, building, communication, and experience in a single system.
This startup follows a “No Professor Classroom” by means of availing mentorship and training programs to students from experienced software engineers who have worked or currently working at companies like Microsoft, Nvidia, Philips, Bosch, Samsung, Google and etc.
What students learn?
HiCoder is currently offering a Full-Stack Web Developer course that helps students learn coding from scratch and build production-grade web applications that can be used by millions of users. The course is open to anyone having an interest in computer science and building useful and scalable applications.
The course enables the student to apply for 6 technical developer job roles with confidence which include (1) Front End Developer, (2) Backend Developer, (3) Full Stack Developer, (4) System Design Engineer, (5) Web Developer, (6) Software Engineer.
Who all are eligible for the educational services offered at HiCoder?
The startup primarily focuses on job seekers and job changers having an interest in getting a job immediately after the course. To be eligible, a student must agree to spend 5-7 hours every day attending classes and practicing the concepts by building useful applications.
The uniqueness of their approach:
HiCoder charges only a very small amount of tuition fee while joining the training and charges the rest only when students get placed in an IT company with a package worth 5,00,000 rupees per year or more.
HiCoder charges an enlistment expense/security a small percentage of the total tuition fee as registration, which is decreased from the total educational expense when the candidate pays the total tuition fee.
HiCoder Competitor companies (UpGrad, GreatLearning, SimpliLearn) offering similar courses in the space charge up to 2,80,000 as tuition fee irrespective of the candidate getting a job in the industry.
This approach works but students takes the risk and most of them end up taking loan to study. HiCoder fixes this issue to a greater extent by charging only a small percentage of the total course fee as registration fee and asks students to pay only when they get a job.
The total fee for HiCoder remains around 2,30,000 in which the student has to pay 30,000 rupees upfront and pay the rest 2,00,00 in small EMIs in 2 years only when they get a job worth % lakhs per annum or higher.
Why HiCoder is taking the risk if they are sure about quality education?
“We are the best“, “We are top coding institute“, “Crack FAANG” has become a general lingo for institutes to sell their courses. HiCoder is different and we want students to become successful in getting a job and then charge. Cutting most of the tuition fee burden before getting a job allows a good number of more students to join the course and will give them the confidence to trust hicoder as it guarantees to charge only when they get a job.
– Rana Jayant (Innovation President, Worked with 40+ companies in the past including BMW, HETERO Labs, Hyderabad Metro and etc)
As the risk remains on the HiCoder side, teaching the most demanded technology becomes hicoder responsibility. HiCoder is backed by a software and marketing company STABLX that has built software applications reaching 100M+ people in the past and will be helping students build real and useful applications.
How will students/candidates pay HiCoder after getting job?
The students will be obliged to pay educational expenses (once or in small EMI in 2 years).
What happens when candidate lose lost his job after getting hired?
The company gives another chance to prepare and crack another job with partner companies and in the industry.
Praveen, who is the co-founder of the company mentioned that “Giving 2nd chance is not enough for a candidate as it may candidate go in financial anxiety. When a candidate loses a job, We pause the EMI burden and encourage students to focus on learning and apply for new opportunities.“.
What are the conditions HiCoder puts to students?
Students are required to sign an agreement of ISA (Income Share Agreement) which basically defines that “a student must pay tuition fee when they a get a job in the industry”. The option of paying tuition fees in one attempt or in small EMIs remains in student’s hands.
Where does the classes happen?
HiCoder conducts all of its classes online. This module allows people from different parts of the world to join the courses and share the knowledge, work collaboratively on the projects and apply for job opportunities.
Key Components:
- Basic Learning and mostly Building
- Collaboration & Team Work
- Soft Skills and Communication
Basic Learning and mostly Building
Learning in software engineering is never-ending and one must keep learning to remain relevant in the IT Industry. HiCoder uses approaches that follow the same principle and keeps the syllabus and concepts updated as per the industry.
HICoder pushes the boundary of a classroom by bringing real-life examples, product building, and product thinking. This makes students focus on building products and enables problem-solving by default.
Industry Expert Thoughts on HiCoder initiative
“Industry is demanding useful and skilled developers but the candidates we are getting from engineering colleges are not skilled but well instructed. Most of the things they know are ineffective and outdated. HiCoder can be promising for students who want to enter the software industry as a software developer.”
– Vivek Kumar (Sr. Software Engineer, Microsoft)
“Students from 3rd and 4th tier students will have new hope. Generally, they end up having a nontechnical or semi-technical job role but. As hicoder enables the production-grade learning, there are good chances industry will see good and see ready to onboard skilled engineers.”
– Ashish Vishwakarma (Software Engineer, Bosch)
