The Iron Yard, a Greenville, S.C.-based coding bootcamp, is closing up shop. The school wrote in a blog post today that it will be ceasing operations at all of its 15 campuses around the U.S. after its current 12-week session finishes.
“In considering the current environment, the board of The Iron Yard has made the difficult decision to cease operations at all campuses after teaching out remaining summer cohorts. We will finish out summer classes completely, including career support,” the announcement reads.
Founded in 2013 by CEO Peter Barth, the Iron Yard is the second major bootcamp shutdown to happen this month. Dev Bootcamp, a Kaplan-owned coding bootcamp pioneer, announced last week that it will be closing its doors in December.
The Iron Yard (formerly an accelerator program) is a for-profit coding school, and its owner, Apollo Education Group, also owns the University of Phoenix and other institutions, according to the Upstate Business Journal.
The announcement states: “The industry as a whole is still young and its leaders face the challenge of a nascent market, as well as the demands facing all institutions in the higher education marketplace.”
Social media users and bloggers have already responded noting what appears to be the start of a trend. “The closing of the chain schools shows that a national, cookie-cutter learner experience doesn't work just yet. Software development is still predominantly a craft, as well as a skill,” wrote Steve Brownlee, an instructor at the Nashville Software School.
When schools open and close like businesses, students cannot count on the long returns to legitimacy
— Tressie Mc (@tressiemcphd) July 20, 2017
Dev Bootcamp and Iron Yard shut down within a week of each other? Maybe the bait and churn process to coding isn’t sustainable?
— Jessica D'Amico (@justjessdc) July 21, 2017
One thing that isn’t clear yet is what the news means for Iron Yard Ventures, the seed-stage investing arm of the coding bootcamp. Its website states that since 2012, the firm has invested in more than 62 companies that have together raised more than $100 million.
The Iron Yard did not respond to requests for comment.
