On October 20, the team behind the Ethereum Layer-2 Base network announced that it is launching an eight-week training course to turn traditional software developers into blockchain developers. The new program, called “Base Bootcamp,” costs nothing to attend. However, it is designed for “individual contributors at the mid- and upper-level Software Engineering level” and students must complete an application form and be accepted to enroll. Fewer than 20 students will be admitted to each “cohort,” or class, and the team will stop accepting applications on Oct. 27, the announcement said.
Introducing Base Bootcamp, an eight-week program designed to turn experienced developers into smart contract developers
Base Bootcamp makes learning interactive and collaborative, with support from experienced engineers and dedicated mentorshttps://t.co/gecI1FMpzT
— Basis️ (@BuildOnBase) October 20, 2023
In the announcement, Base claimed that the program is needed because most software developers still don’t know how to build Web3 apps. “Today there are fewer than 30,000 onchain developers,” they said, “compared to almost 30 million software developers.” This implies that only 0.1% of software developers work in Web3.
The team released an online training program earlier this year called “Base Camp,” which was open to everyone. But they decided this wasn’t enough, because “maintaining the momentum to learn a complex new skill on your own can be difficult.” They claim that Base Bootcamp will offer more support to developers who don’t want to study alone.
Related: Coinbase open source code for layer 2 network Base
During the Base Bootcamp, each student is paired with a mentor who he meets every week. It also gives them access to a group of Coinbase and Base engineers who will be available during business hours to answer questions. A private Discord server will be created for students to communicate with each other and with Base engineers, and additional assignments will be given to be graded by members of the team. At the end of the program, students must create their own Web3 app and present it to other students.
Although the program does not charge tuition, students are required to deposit 1 Ether (ETH) to ensure completion of the program. The team claimed that this deposit will be returned to the student upon graduation.
The lack of qualified Web3 developers is a commonly reported problem in the industry. Some Australian educators have suggested teaching Web3 development in high schools as a way to combat the problem. Other companies have tried to create tools to make Web3 development easier. For example, Circle recently released a set of tools that allow developers to implement contracts using well-known Web2 methods.