Comment Vocation and Theory are not mutually exclusive. (Score 1) 612
Can anyone answer how this setup prevents a computer science education? They take someone who's not going to college, gives them an incredibly valuable skill and the discipline required of a big person job. They are taught how to work. It puts money in their pocket. They code for 3-5 years, and if they hit a ceiling in the career, they PAY FOR THE CS PROGRAM with the money they saved.
In addition to having grown as a programmer (and finding out firsthand if they have a passion for programming), they are taught the academic theory behind the craft right about the time where they could not advance further without the degree. Not all programs require revolutionary search algorithms. Sometimes a business just needs a website.
To me, this setup makes much more sense than being taught the theory while accumulating debt, then shelving it for 5 years before anyone trusts you to code something outside a framework or a tech lead's supervision. It also makes a lot more sense then teaching someone the ideals of computer science only to slam them into the reality of the working world and burn them out. And hey, the work ethic of a competent programmer makes studying seem like leisure.