Press Office

Peter Harrison, president of the Palisadoes Foundation was interviewed about the Calico Challenge by the Jamaican American Club. Listen to what he has to say about Palisadoes, the Calico Challenge and life in Silicon Valley.

Alexander Nicholson and Javon Davis, both 2016 Computer Science graduates from UWI Mona, have started working at KnightFox, a Caribbean app development company. We wanted to hear about their academic and professional experiences so they could be an inspiration to future graduates. We interviewed them on how they had managed to land their jobs.

It turns out that the process wasn’t as speedy nor as easy as it appears. Javon, by the time he graduated, had gathered over three years of experience developing mobile applications for both Android and iOS. He had been simultaneously working on quite a few personal projects, reading blogs to keep up to date with what is happening globally, and had taken quite a number of online courses in areas that hadn’t been offered at his school such as machine learning and Android application development. Alexander had followed a similar path in to gain software development experience. He wrote code for websites and mobile/web applications, and expanded into software testing and system administration. He had completed a few internships, hackathons, and paid projects to make sure he was “graduating with some experience.”

Their first advice to students wanting to pursue a career in the software industry is an emphatic “work on a lot of projects outside of the required coursework”. Interestingly, Sebastian Lauzon, talent acquisition manager at RealDecoy, whom we interviewed as well to learn about current industry requirements, validates this counsel by mentioning that employers these days want precisely the kind of “students who have been working on broadening their skills beyond the curriculum.” He remarks that students working on personal projects related to the Internet of Things (IoT), exploring new hardware such as the Raspberry Pi, creating mobile apps, or developing an idea that has value to this world are especially appealing to employers.

Alex and Javon single out the role that their friends and connections played during their job search. Javon got to know the work environment and culture of the companies he was applying for through friends who worked there, and reached out to a lot of recruiters as well. Alex got a referral from a friend at KnightFox, whom he had worked with on a project previously, and who willingly passed along his resume. He says “to work closely with peers on projects, network with faculty, and keep your eyes open for opportunities involving research, internships, competitions, or app ideas”. In fact, he stumbled upon his first opportunity for internship when he struck up conversation at a car dealership!

They emphasize following tech news sites such as Hacker News, and being a member of the Reddit forum and the LinkedIn professional network as being important. They say that these not only inspire learning and accelerate awareness but have also become an integral part of the job hunting expedition. Sebastien seems to echo the same views when he declares that membership in clubs and organization committees, and having Stack Overflow and LinkedIn accounts are important as employers look for candidates who are not “invisible to the world.”

When asked if they could name one thing that undeniably gave them an edge over the rest in securing their jobs, their responses are again strikingly similar. They both put a finger on their Github pages. GitHub is a public online website where developers can publish their work. In Javon’s opinion GitHub tipped the balance in his favor for “it allowed him (the interviewer) to see how I code, and it helped guide the kind of questions he wanted to ask me to assess my thought process.” Javon even goes on to add that Github is fast replacing the traditional resume for developers looking for jobs. Sebastien, on the other hand, representing the employers’ perspective, expands upon this sentiment by saying that the “type, amount, and quality of contributions of code” on the Github is what actually matters.

Speaking of contributing code, Javon and Alex concur that their contribution to open source via the Calico Challenge enabled them to point at “a valued addition” and “a tangible work result” on their Github page, and articulate the challenges and learning that came with it. They give credit to the organizing skills and commendable expertise of their Calico project mentors who, in the words of Alex, engaged him in “the highest levels of sustained technical discussion” he has experienced thus far. The significance of being a part of open source projects is amplified in Sebastien’s response, “Open source is highly relevant to the hiring process as it shows that you are expanding your knowledge, have a passion for development…. and that you want to go the extra mile.”

So what are the technologies and skills in the software industry that students should be versed in? Alex identifies Microsoft technologies .NET and MSSQL as being widely used in Jamaica for software development and system administration respectively, while Javon highlights the demand for data scientists right now, and predicts that the future looks very promising for machine learning. Sebastien reports that RealDecoy seeks persons with Java, and general database experience for their software developers, with Python being valued for DevOps roles. With their focus on site search, the company does a lot of backend development with technologies such as Solr, Elastic Search, and the Oracle ATG web commerce platform. Exposure to automated software testing tools is essential as all their developers are responsible for the quality of their code.

The recent graduates insist that the most indispensable general skill is the ability to solve problems, which is sharpened through practice. Javon states that his understanding of object-oriented programming unfailingly guides his thought process while tackling problems. Demonstrating a thorough understanding of the core concepts of programming and their various applications is critical to success. Perhaps, this is what Sebastien alludes to when he says “there is a difference between producing code and creating production ready code”. Students who exhibit knowledge of database techniques and are interested in adding new frameworks to projects, he believes, are in demand.

But getting a job is just the first hurdle. New employees sometimes experience disappointment in the first few months on the job and may want to quit. When questioned about how RealDecoy prevents or lessens the risk of employees leaving in such a case, Sebastien says, “It is always a risk, especially when you specialize in custom work like we do. We assign a mentor, a buddy and a development manager to each new hire. There are a lot of one on one meetings to help define goals and set expectations. Developers all start with entry level bench projects which are showcased to the company. After a few months of work there is an assignment to a team with multiple mentors. The process is slow taking 3 to 4 months and it’s very intensive.”

In the final analysis, a planned, concerted effort seems necessary for both landing a job and faring well at it in the industry. However, even this may not be enough since, according to Sebastien, employers also look for the right personality fit, the right attitude, and the right work ethic. It’s, no doubt, a competitive and demanding environment. But a compelling combination of all these factors can certainly help you “own your career”. Curiosity, experimentation, contributions to large scale projects, the use of new technologies, and exposure to new techniques all give new graduates an edge. The learning never stops. So good luck and all our best!  Congratulations Javon and Alex!

Our annual review of the Calico program has been posted. The full report can be downloaded here: Calico 2016 Review – PDF

As we draw closer to the 2017 run of the Calico Challenge, the Palisadoes Foundation just culminated its 2016 Challenge by acknowledging the contribution and support of our main sponsor, the JPS Foundation, through a set of presentations from four of our 2016 participants, Luke Chen Sui, Jerene Ricketts, Alexander Nicholson and Javon Davis. The student achievers not only offered insight into lessons gained from participating in this “learn and earn” project, but also gave suggestions on how to make the upcoming Challenge an even greater success. The presentations were a fitting finale to our exciting and successful first year showcasing how far we have come and highlighting how much more needs to be done!

Luke Chen Sui, Collette Bailey (Palisadoes Volunteer), Alexander Nicholson, Jerene Ricketts, and Javon Davis

A word about our principal benefactor is in order here. The JPS Foundation is the philanthropic arm of JPS (Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd), the island’s chief energy services provider.  Established in October 2012, the Foundation manages and executes the Company’s social responsibility projects. It operates with the mission of empowering Jamaicans through charitable development projects, and is propelled by a vision to unleash national growth and prosperity by being the not-for-profit partner of choice in Jamaica’s Energy Revolution.

The JPS foundation is especially geared towards promoting the cause of innovation and youth education, and we are glad it found a like-minded partner in the Palisadoes Foundation whose Calico Challenge has the potential to tap precisely the kind of talent that will help achieve this end. It is indeed heartening that the JPS Foundation shares the same level of commitment and drive to see the Calico Challenge grow and expand its reach for the benefit of more students who need a leg up.

In preparation for the 2017 Calico Challenge, a launch has been planned at the UTech, Jamaica, on Nov 3, 2016 in LT 23. Presentations by Peter Harrison of the Palisadoes foundation, Kevin White of the JPS Foundation and Sheldon Powe of the JCS will kick start our race up to the next challenge. Representatives of the Palisadoes Foundation will also be in attendance at PyCon 2016, a Python Jamaica Conference scheduled for Nov 17-19.

A note on each of our prideful participants and their presentations!!!

Luke Chen Sui

Luke Chen Sui presents on his Calico 2016 project

Luke spoke about the Linter he had built for Infoset which checks for discrepancies in the code using Pep257, Pep 8 and Infoset’s formulated style guide.

He enumerated the many benefits of contributing to open source.

Jerene Ricketts

Jerene presented documentation and rendering of chip which she completed for Material UI.

Jerene worked on the chip component which is used to create icons commonly seen in contact lists. See this link for a full explanation.

She expressed that although her contribution was not merged with the main repository due to the size and significant changes made to the infrastructure of Material UI, she will certainly continue contributing to the project considering the wealth of knowledge she has gained from participating in the Challenge.

Javon Davis

Javon presents his Calico 2016 project

Javon explained that given the massive overhaul which Infoset endured, his contribution was not merged with the main repository. However, participating in the project provided Python practice and taught him the core concepts of networking.

Alex Nicholson

Alexander (Alex) displayed his toggle button and described some of the things he had learned including the difference between controlled and uncontrolled components.

He was thankful that the Calico Challenge had helped him master React and JavaScript both of which are required and used extensively at his workplace. It had also introduced him to how international code is structured. The experience of contributing to the open source as a Jamaican had filled him with a sense of national pride.

Reported by Collette Bailey

Santa Clara, California: September 8, 2016 – The JPS Foundation announced its JA$400,000 sponsorship of the Palisadoes Foundation’s first annual Calico Challenge today at an event held at the UWI Computing Lecture Theatre today. This marks the conclusion of a successful collaboration between the JPS, the Jamaica Computing Society, the Palisadoes Foundation, the UWI Computing Society and the University of Technology IEEE Student Branch.

The Calico Challenge is a summer work study program for computer science students in Jamaica. Each selected student works on enhancing open source software used internationally under the guidance of a Jamaican mentor. Students receive a US$500 stipend for their participation which is incrementally paid upon the achievement of specified milestones. Calico is also a feeder program for the similar Google Summer of Code.

The JPS Foundation’s contribution was used to both fund student stipends and special awards to be announced.

“We welcome JPS Foundation’s support of Calico in our common goal of developing a stronger nation through the empowerment of the future Jamaican technical workforce.” said Peter Harrison, President of the Palisadoes Foundation, “The endorsement clearly illustrates how Jamaicans around the world can collaborate in outreach activities to make an impact in not just in education but in engineering too.”

(l-R) Kevin White, JPS Foundation Coordinator; Collette Bailey, Palisadoes Foundation Volunteer; Sheldon Powe, President, Jamaica Computer Society.

More information can be found on the Palisadoes Foundation website: http://www.palisadoes.org

About the Calico Challenge
Calico was conceived by The Palisadoes Foundation in conjunction with the Jamaica Diaspora Technology Task Force. There has been close technical collaboration between the Foundation; the University of the West Indies (UWI) Department of Computing, Mona; the UWI Computing Society; and the University of Technology IEEE Students Branch to identify open source projects, student sub-projects and mentors.

About the JPS Foundation
The JPS Foundation expands the Jamaica Public Service Company’s role beyond a utility company to include community outreach and the consistent support of Jamaica’s National Development plans.

Since 2013 the JPS Foundation has been the philanthropic arm tasked with the responsibility to help create positive change and prosperity as the leader in Jamaica’s energy sector. Its mission is to improve lives and empower Jamaicans through charitable development projects in Energy Education, Conservation and Innovation.

About the Palisadoes Foundation
The California based Palisadoes Foundation aims to provide new avenues to promote Jamaica’s technology businesses and talent using a series of programs aimed at creating increased awareness of the island’s abilities in the global marketplace.

About the University of Technology IEEE Student Branch
Like the IEEE, the branch’s core purpose is to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. It is the first IEEE student branch to be registered in Jamaica and meets regularly to develop the young minds that will create a better Jamaica.

About the UWI Computing Society
The vision for this society is to become a launching pad for the development and exposure of the computing students of the University of the West Indies, with particular focus on undergraduate students. This Society is also envisioned to be a medium by which the university population and the wider society may become more computer literate as well as educated in the efficient use of ICT in the industry and the wider society.

About the Jamaica Diaspora Technology Task Force
The Jamaica Diaspora Technology Task Force is a group of expatriate Jamaicans interested in assisting in the continued development of new and existing technologies in Jamaica. It is a member of the Jamaica Diaspora Movement