Unity to teach coding skills to 80K people for free

Unity is launching a new no-cost training program for “anyone interested in coding and breaking into the gaming and tech industries.” The ambition behind the initiative is to reduce unemployment resulting from the covid19-related recession.

The program will last for at least three years and equip people of any background with the skills necessary to ultimately get a tech job.

Currently, Unity has rolled out two courses it refers to as career pathways.

The first pathway is Unity Essentials. This 1- to 2-week course will introduce you to Unity. It culminates in creating your first game.

Once Unity Essentials is completed, students can proceed to the second pathway, Junior Programmer, to master the coding skills. This program lasts 3- to 4-months and will equip you with the technical and soft skills needed to find a job as a junior programmer. According to Unity, “junior programmer is an entry-level role with a median salary of $49K that serves as a stepping stone into the world of game development and app creation.” Half-way through the course, the students will pass two Unity Certifications to demonstrate their command of Unity and C# programming skills.

Along the way, the students will also develop up to five portfolio pieces.

Over the next three years, we intend to equip over 80K people with the skills they need to start and advance a career with Unity. We plan to do this via career pathways that give you the skills to go from Unity beginner to a tech job, and by providing a range of opportunities to help close the experience gap that often exists when someone is starting a new job or entering a new industry.

Unity