Kakao said on Wednesday it will recruit trainees for the fourth cohort of Kakao Tech Bootcamp, a training program aimed at developing job-ready developers, through March 22.

Kakao Tech Bootcamp is a training program launched in 2022 that aims to produce developers with skills that can be used immediately in the workplace. The fourth cohort consists of three tracks: AI practical development, full-stack and cloud native. It will recruit 50 trainees for each track, for a total of 150.

Training will run for about 6 months from May 12 to Nov. 17, both online and offline. Trainees will follow an intensive curriculum of 40 hours a week on weekdays, totaling 1,000 hours. The program includes theory as well as project-based learning that covers building and operating actual services.

A key feature is that Kakao’s incumbent developers participate from the curriculum design stage to strengthen practical, workplace-oriented training. A team of instructors with extensive industry experience will provide on-site support, and Kakao developers will offer mentoring and special lectures to pass on technical know-how and a collaborative culture. Each track is built around practical work. The full-stack track focuses on web service development, the AI practical development track on implementing AI services, and the cloud native track on infrastructure buildout and operations.

The program also provides structured support benefits for participants. It offers dedicated study space with one seat per person at a training center located in Pangyo, Seongnam, Gyeonggi province, to help participants focus. It also provides up-to-date development infrastructure including a high-spec graphics processing unit cloud environment and paid AI tools. A job support program will also be run to help participants grow after completion, including resume and portfolio mentoring through professional career coaching.

Anyone with passion and capability in software development can apply regardless of educational background, major or age. Applicants can apply if they hold the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s Tomorrow Learning Card.

Seo Eun-hee (서은희), Kakao’s ESG technical talent development leader, said Kakao Tech Bootcamp is a practical IT training program that reflects Kakao’s development culture and collaboration methods. She said Kakao will develop it into an education model that cultivates technical talent to lead the AI era while realising Kakao’s shared-growth values.