SQL 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 SQL skills you’ve always wanted to learn. SQL knowledge is a useful skill with a range of professional applications in fields like data science, software engineering, and data analytics. It allows you to perform more autonomous data analyses, find better ways to structure your thoughts and develop marketable professional skills that can help you stand out from other job applicants searching for a career working with data.

What is SQL?

SQL, or Structured Query Language, is a standard language used to communicate with relational databases. Organizations across industries rely on SQL to access and work with the data contained in their databases. Important business information about products, customers, or orders is just some data an organization may store in a database. Among its many uses, SQL has applications for searching, updating, and maintaining databases. It can also insert or delete records from databases and change the database's actual structure by creating or deleting tables and objects.

SQL operates on local intranet or internet systems and can be used on laptops, PCs, servers, and some mobile devices. Even though SQL is considered to be a relatively simple programming language, it is a powerful tool for helping users retrieve the specific information they need within a large database. Those working with SQL don’t need coding skills and can instead use basic keywords such as “update” or “select” to perform data queries.

Some of the most-used relational database management systems that use SQL are Microsoft SQL Server, Ingres, Access, and Oracle. 

Read more about what SQL is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with SQL Skills?

For anyone who works with data, SQL knowledge is a must. Many fields and disciplines use this language to communicate with relational databases. SQL’s flexibility is designed to help you use statements based on English to query a database in multiple ways. Because SQL is the most-used database language, nearly every organization that has to store relational data relies on SQL, including major corporations such as Amazon, Google, and Uber. In addition, websites such as Facebook use SQL to store back-end data and process data.

SQL has a wide range of built-in functions that are useful for data analytics:

• SQL COUNT can count how many rows are in a table
• SQL MAX provides a way to select the highest value for a given column
• SQL MIN lets users choose the minimum value for a column
• SQL SUM totals the values in a column
• SQL AVG can calculate the average within table columns

In addition, SQL has other useful applications for handling large volumes of data:

• It can add, update, or delete records within a database
• SQL can create new databases
• SQL users can add new tables to an existing database
• SQL can create views or stored procedures in a database
• It can establish permissions on views, tables, and procedures.

Support for Veterans 

If you’re a veteran interested in learning to program with SQL, you can find support from several organizations to help you pursue your studies. The GI Bill, also called the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, was created so that World War II veterans could have access to a range of educational benefits. The GI Bill currently offers benefits like grants or educational stipends through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These benefits are available to veterans, active-duty service members, and their qualifying dependents. The GI Bill can be used to cover bachelor’s degree studies, as well as advanced degrees. This bill also covers non-college degree programs like technical and vocational training. GI Bill benefits can also be applied for licensing, on-the-job training, certifications, and apprenticeships, as well as tutorial assistance, work-study programs, flight training, and correspondence training.

The Forever GI Bill is another program that offers assistance to veterans. Also known as the Harry W. Coleman Veterans Educational Assistance Act, this program was designed to help veterans with education. It eliminates the 15-year limit to educational benefits that had previously been imposed. The benefits provided by the Forever GI Bill never expire and provide eligible learners with indefinite access to a variety of educational benefits, as well as funding toward housing while studying.

Another program that offers educational assistance to veterans and their dependents is the VET TEC program. This program was created to assist veterans with learning computer skills or starting a tech-related career. Those who participate in this program can receive training in fields such as media applications, computer software, data processing, information science, and computer programming. The programs Noble Desktop offers don’t currently qualify for VET TEC funding.

A great way to learn more about the range of VA-supported programs is to explore Noble Desktop’s Veterans Support Page. You can browse a range of SQL classes for veterans in topics like software engineering, data science, data analytics, and web design. Noble provides VA-supported programs in the in-person study format in New York City. The VA usually supports full-time study.

Why Learn SQL 

If you’re a veteran interested in studying SQL, this versatile programming language is currently an in-demand skill. Relational databases are everywhere. Those who have the training to communicate with them have a better understanding of the applications they work with every day. A 2021 Stack Overflow Developer survey listed SQL as the third-most commonly used programming language, with over half of professional Developers using it. Not only is SQL widely used, but it’s considered a relatively easy and intuitive programming language to learn. SQL’s query syntax is based on common English words. Even for those who don’t have prior programming experience, SQL can be easily understood and used.

Both small and large organizations create and use vast amounts of data. Another reason why learning SQL is a valuable skill set is that this language can easily handle big data. For these organizations to have access to the value in these numbers, they must be able to effectively mine data and present it in a format that’s easy to understand. Using applications like Excel to analyze large datasets can lead to problems like slow processing speed and even program crashes. SQL provides is a faster and more robust way to process vast datasets. This language also more effectively ensures data integrity.

In addition to faster data processing, SQL also allows team members to generate the most relevant data to satisfy their team’s needs. All teams within a company have unique data needs. For example, marketing teams evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and work to understand customers’ needs; manufacturing departments are more concerned with data related to productivity; and accounting teams work with big data to study developments in the market. Some relevant data may be located in several datasets across a company. SQL can be used to consolidate these data from different sources, as well as to convert these datasets into actionable insights. Those who have the training to use SQL can accomplish a range of tasks that may have been sent off to other departments in the past. This is a much more efficient approach to working with data, one that avoids the middleman and ensures that projects can be completed on time. 

Why Choose a Skills Bootcamp?

If you’re a veteran looking to learn SQL, you may not be sure which learning format is best for you. SQL coursework is available at many colleges and universities but isn’t typically available as a major since it’s often used alongside other programming languages and data skills. This learning format also requires students to study a variety of other classes and general education requirements unrelated to computer programming. Studying SQL in the college setting requires committing four or more years of time, which may be prohibitive for some veterans. In addition, the cost of college study can be tens of thousands of dollars a year. For these reasons, learning SQL in a college or university isn’t the most efficient way to learn programming.

Certificate programs provide veterans with an excellent alternative to college or university study. One of the main benefits of this learning format is that it’s much shorter in length than earning a bachelor’s degree. Most certificates take only weeks or several months to complete. In terms of cost, certificates tend to be more affordable than four-year study; most cost several thousand dollars. Earning a certificate in SQL also provides a more focused kind of study. Students receive hands-on training from an expert instructor, who can help them learn how to communicate with relational databases. This learning option allows you to choose a program that’s most in line with the skills you’ll need to succeed as a data professional. 

Noble Desktop’s Data Analytics Certificate is an excellent option for those who wish to learn SQL, as well as other data analytics tools like Tableau, Python, and Excel.

In addition to college study and certificate programs, another popular way to become proficient in SQL is to enroll in a bootcamp. Unlike university study, which requires students to complete various classes unrelated to SQL or even programming, a bootcamp provides skills-specific training in SQL. An SQL Bootcamp such as the one offered by Noble Desktop is also much shorter in duration than college or certificate study. Instead of it taking months or even years to complete coursework, bootcamps typically provide instruction that spans only days or weeks. Bootcamps also typically a cost-effective way to study SQL. These programs often cost much less than certificate study, ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars. For these reasons, bootcamps are a great way for veterans to focus their studies on SQL specifically, rather than wasting time completing unrelated coursework.

Learn SQL at Noble Desktop

When learning SQL for a career, many people choose instructor-led classes, which provide personalized assistance and in-the-moment feedback on their code. If you’re interested in learning the basics of SQL or receiving more advanced instruction, Noble Desktop has multiple course offerings in SQL. Classes are available in the live-online environment as well as in-person in New York City. 

Those new to using SQL can enroll in Noble’s SQL Level 1, a beginner-friendly class designed to teach students the basics of working with this language. Throughout this instructor-led, one-day course, students build a foundation in SQL by learning about rows, columns, tables, and basic filtering. By course completion, participants will have a solid understanding of database architecture and will be able to write basic SQL queries for Microsoft SQL Server.

If you’re looking to learn more advanced SQL concepts, Noble also offers an SQL Bootcamp led by expert instructors. Those enrolled in this 18-hour course receive hands-on instruction on core SQL skills, such as how to write queries, filter and group data, and combine information from various tables using join statements. Participants in this small class also gain experience working with PostgreSQL as well as the free DBeaver app. All students have the option of a free retake of the course if they wish to brush up on their SQL skills. Prospective students can also learn more about SQL with Noble’s learning resources.

Key Takeaways

• Learning SQL is an excellent skill set for a veteran to acquire. It’s an easy-to-learn programming language with applications in various professions, such as software engineering, data science, data analytics, and business analytics.
• Veterans interested in learning SQL can take advantage of programs designed to help with education and training. The GI Bill, the VET TEC program, and the Forever GI Bill are just three available options you may wish to explore, which offer funding and resources for SQL study and other technical training.
• Once you’ve decided to learn SQL, you can select from several types of study. Four-year college or university programs are the longest and most expensive learning option. Certificates are shorter in length and more focused in scope. For those interested in learning just SQL, bootcamp study is a great option because of its pointed focus and affordable price.
• If you’re a veteran who wants to learn SQL, let Noble Desktop provide comprehensive training on this computer programming language.