Java Training for Veterans

Are you a veteran returning to civilian life or a member of a veteran’s family aiming to avail yourself of entitlements and benefits? This article is designed to help you navigate your options for taking advantage of these services to enter into a professional skills training program and learn the Java skills you’ve always wanted to learn. Professional Java coders can write software for multiple platforms and purposes, including web, mobile, and desktop applications, for personal use, product development, or business support. Many employers are looking for workers skilled in Java to build their websites, data servers, support software, software products (including video games), and information management systems including machine learning tools. Veterans, in particular, may find careers combining their prior work with Java programming in industries like defense, aerospace, robotics, logistics, and government services.

What is Java?

Java is a programming language and computing platform created at Sun Microsystems in 1995, now open-source and free to use. It is a high-level and general-purpose language, designed so that a programmer can write an application once and run it on any device with Java Runtime Environment (JRE) software. This wide utility makes Java one of the most popular programming languages, used to create web, mobile, and desktop applications (including video games), web and database servers, machine learning systems, and smart appliances. Java is an object-oriented language, which allows programmers to build projects faster by using shared code libraries and reusing previous code. Java’s syntax is highly similar to C++ and C#, which makes it easier to learn, and its long history and consistent popularity have generated many resources for learning and support. Other programming languages have also been adapted to run on the Java platform, making it a useful system for coders to understand even if they do not primarily write in Java.

What Can You Do with Java Skills?

Programmers can use Java to create software for most platforms, including web, mobile, and desktop applications. Software products created with Java include video games; social media and entertainment platforms; ride-sharing, hospitality, delivery, and other service scheduling apps; mathematical software; and research software for measurement, experimental control, and data analysis. Many businesses seek Java programmers to create and maintain enterprise applications to manage their operations, including tasks like inventory management, service scheduling, and retail sales. Java also supports cloud storage and processing, enabling more distributed services. Similarly, Java programmers can write code to operate web servers, database servers, and smart devices. Java-powered devices include home security systems, smart appliances, self-driving vehicles, and robots. Java-based applications were at the forefront of early Big Data and continue to be significant among data mining, machine learning, and generative programs. In particular, Java programmers now build many chatbots, search assistants, and other expert systems.

Support for Veterans

Since veterans not only risk their physical and mental well-being in service but also sacrifice time, income, and educational opportunities, several government programs exist to support training and career opportunities for veterans and their families. These programs are administered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and cover tuition, supplies, and certain other expenses for qualifying courses of study. In addition to college studies, veterans’ education programs also cover many professional training programs, including skilled trades and technical classes. 

The best-known of these programs, the GI Bill, applies to many active and former service members and some spouses and dependents of veterans. The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) applies to service members who served on active duty after September 11, 2001, or their dependents. The older Montgomery GI Bill has two types: the Active Duty (MGIB-AD) program for honorably discharged veterans who meet its required years of service and the Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) program for active military reserve members. GI Bill benefits cover tuition and supplies, up to a maximum covered amount, for most types of education and career training, including technical subjects like Java programming. Participants can also receive a housing allowance during the length of their studies and may get help with related expenses like licensing tests or private tutoring. 

Noble Desktop offers several certificate programs that are eligible for VA support. Please note that VA benefits apply only for in-person students who can attend at Noble Desktop’s Manhattan location. However, some students are eligible for housing benefits that can help them relocate to the New York City area while they study. While there is no currently supported Java certificate course at Noble Desktop, several other certificate programs exist for Java-related careers. For example, Noble Desktop’s Full-Stack Web Development Certificate teaches the necessary skills to qualify for work as a Full Stack Web Developer, and many of this course’s lessons on JavaScript can be adapted for use with Java, instead. Similarly, Noble Desktop’s Software Engineering Certificate, while focused on web applications using JavaScript and Python, teaches many career skills that also apply to Java development. Finally, while Noble Desktop’s certificate programs for Data Science, Data Analytics, and Python Development are all taught using Python, their principles and underlying methods also apply to Java programming.

Why Learn Java?

Learning to code with Java opens a variety of career paths. Java programmers can find work in technical fields like web development, software development for mobile devices and desktop computers, and information technologies. They may provide services as a freelancer or consultant, as part of a larger service provider, or within a development business creating software products. 

Alternatively, a Java programmer may work within a business — as an individual or as part of a team — serving various technical needs. Businesses need web developers to create websites for sales, promotion, client services, and internal tools. Software developers can use Java to create enterprise software that supports a business’s internal operations or applications that assist their customers. Some Java programmers support product development, writing code for smart devices like appliances, security systems, or robots. Industries seeking Java Developers include finance, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and entertainment. Java programmers also have roles in government operations and education.

Java can also have personal uses. A skilled Java coder can write their own applications, including mobile apps and games, and can create websites with sophisticated interactive and data management features. An individual may use Java to develop products for sale, either software itself or inventions that need operating code. Many video game developers, as hobbyists or aspiring publishers, use Java to code their creations.

Even if an individual is already a skilled programmer, adding Java to their repertoire opens additional opportunities. Some applications run faster, more securely, or more reliably when coded in Java. Programs written once in Java can be run on any device with a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed. Some employers have legacy programs written in Java or simply prefer the language for their technical needs. If nothing else, learning Java provides a contrasting language to broaden a coder’s knowledge and understanding.

Why Choose a Skills Bootcamp?

When considering how to pursue education in a topic like Java, potential students might first think of established, well-known colleges or universities. While most such institutions have excellent computer science programs and talented instructors, they rarely offer courses in single programming languages. Instead, students must enroll in a degree program that includes other related skills, such as computer science, web development, or software engineering. The majority of these degrees are four-year programs, although some schools offer two-year programs, and a few offer one- or two-semester certificate courses, usually through their continuing or adult education programs. However, even in the shortest such courses, students must learn additional information that may not be necessary for their goals. A college program usually costs more than other options, as well. 

Some degree programs are career-focused, and some colleges offer career support, but this is not true of all such schools. By comparison, programs offered through career training and technical schools are explicitly career-focused. Professional certificate programs and bootcamps are designed to teach students all and only the skills they need to secure employment. By avoiding unnecessary topics, these courses are made much faster and far less expensive. Certificate courses and bootcamps also include lessons on career and interview preparation plus projects that help students build a starting portfolio. After graduation, most schools also provide networking and placement services to ensure that their students find suitable employers. Some schools also include individual mentoring to address each student’s challenges.

Bootcamps are shorter and more limited than certificate programs, usually lasting only a few weeks on a full-time schedule. A Java bootcamp course primarily teaches the language itself, beginning with an intensive introduction and then moving into intermediate techniques and applied projects. Most Java bootcamps are tailored toward a specific career use, such as web development. This focus affects which techniques and supportive tools the bootcamp covers. While bootcamps’ limited length means they cannot cover many advanced topics, their accelerated pace and career focus ensure that students learn practical skills quickly. Bootcamps are often an ideal balance between length and completeness, especially for professionals needing to gain a specific skill in a limited time.

By comparison, certificate programs are longer, more complete training courses, though still much shorter and less expensive than a degree program. A Java certificate course typically takes two to three months on a full-time schedule, and certificate programs are more likely to offer part-time scheduling options. Though these courses do omit some background knowledge and advanced topics that might be addressed in a college course, they are still thorough enough to qualify graduates for entry-level employment. Like bootcamps, certificate programs are often built around particular career paths; for Java, these are usually web development, mobile development, or machine learning applications. Java certificate programs go beyond bootcamps by adding additional advanced lessons on different coding techniques, more tools like coding and testing frameworks, and more complex practical projects. These courses also provide more career guidance and assistance, often including personalized mentoring with an instructor. For those who have the necessary time and funds, a certificate program is usually the most effective way to acquire all the skills needed for a new career.

Learn Java at Noble Desktop

NextGen Bootcamp hosts a Java Programming Summer Program, both live online and in-person in New York City, teaching professional Java coding to high school and college students. The program, which takes about two weeks on a full-time schedule, begins with an introduction to programming that grounds each concept with its corresponding uses in Java. The course continues through lessons on more complex topics like file management, object-oriented programming, and recursion. In addition to class instruction, students receive a proprietary workbook, work on applied practical projects, and can review the recordings of each class session. After completing this program, students receive a verified digital certificate.

For adult learners, Noble Desktop offers online Java Private Tutoring in three-hour increments. This instruction is 1-on-1 and personalized to each student. Though designed primarily for beginners with little or no programming experience, the tutoring program progresses quickly to higher-level programming concepts and includes a complete, original project suitable for a starting portfolio. Students can also use this course to prepare for further computer science studies.

Students who are interested in Java primarily for its use in web development might prefer Noble Desktop’s Full Stack Web Development Certificate program. This professional training program is presented in person in New York City or live online and is available for either full-time or part-time study. Students need no prior programming experience. The course begins with an introduction to web development and its most important languages, HTML and CSS. The instructor follows this introduction with more advanced lessons on HTML and CSS, front end web development tools, and JavaScript and its commonly used web design libraries. The program concludes with additional lessons on and career guidance for the web development industry. This program includes ten 1-on-1 mentoring sessions to further assist students, proprietary workbooks, multiple portfolio projects, and a certificate of completion. Graduates may retake the course once for free for up to one year.

Python is another high-level, general-purpose programming language used for many of the same projects as Java. Students seeking training in computing fields like web development, software engineering, or data analysis should consider studying Python in addition to Java. Noble Desktop’s Python Developer Certificate program is a complete professional training course offered in-person in New York City or live online anywhere. The course requests that students have prior experience coding in HTML and CSS, such as taught in an introductory web design or web development class. This knowledge will help in the program’s second unit, which teaches web development using Python, following the introductory unit that introduces Python’s fundamental terms, syntax, and techniques. Students may choose one of three bonus units to conclude their Python studies: Data Science, Data Visualization, or Machine Learning. The complete program takes several weeks of full-time study but includes several portfolio-quality projects and four 1-on-1 mentoring sessions to help with difficult topics or career preparation. Students also receive a certificate upon completion and may retake the course once for free within one year.