New employees are one of the most valuable customers of a company and they’re also a key driving force behind its future growth. Recognizing their significance, it’s just common sense for businesses to listen to their voices as much as they listen to what consumers have to say.

In recent surveys conducted in South Korea,* it was found that Gen Zers, in particular, chose ‘Opportunities for Personal Growth’ and ‘Personal Growth and Self-realization’ as key factors for a satisfactory work life. It was clear that demand for self-development at the workplace was growing amongst younger generations. In line with such findings, LG has been running various training programs aimed at promoting the career growth of its new software developers while at the same time seeking to create a productive and strong relationship-bonding corporate culture.

One such program is the recently renamed LG Bootcamp – initially created in 2011 as the No.1 New Software Developer Training Course. The program has evolved to provide training for not only the employees of LG but also other LG Group affiliates. It effectively supports the growth of participants by providing interesting and enjoyable, yet highly demanding missions on a daily basis. The program focuses on emphasizing collaboration over competition and embracing the notion that failure is part of the learning process.

LG Bootcamp is divided into two courses: the Proficiency Course and the Project Course. The Proficiency Course specializes in enhancing basic programming skills to help new developers pass the company’s software programming proficiency test. Successful candidates then progress to the Project Course, where they form teams to work on actual software development projects.

A total of 240 new software developers participated in four Bootcamp sessions this year. In the Project Course of the third session, participants formed 19 teams and were divided into two projects: the Embedded Software Path and Data Science Path. Over a four-week period, these teams diligently worked on their respective projects, and the top two teams from each Path emerged as candidates for the Software Fighter contest – a platform showcasing the most outstanding projects of the entire course.

In the initial presentation round, teams from the Embedded Software Path showcased their projects, focusing on the intricate task of designing and implementing a multi-process operating system kernel based on a simplified operating system design. The first team unveiled ‘My One and Only OS,’ a multi-processing operating system supporting a memory monitoring app, while the second team shared their developmental journey, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of their operating system project.

Subsequently, the Data Science Path teams took the stage for the second round. Their projects revolved around constructing AI models and seamlessly integrating them into embedded boards. The first team introduced ‘Alpi,’ an AI speaker capable of understanding users’ emotions and delivering personalized services, while the second team introduced a unique cloud game facilitating enjoyable turtle-neck correction exercises through facial movements.

The caliber displayed by the new developers during the presentations garnered admiration from the judging panel. Among them, Kwak Jung-ho, head of HE Service Platform Development Division, emphasized that, “in the age of generative AI, the importance of being able to strategize, oversee and identify suitable program applications will rise significantly, surpassing the significance of coding proficiency.”

The event wrapped up with the Ignite session, a program that always marks the end of LG’s Software Developer Conference. During the event, the trainees had the opportunity to showcase their talents on stage. Many of the new employees showed interest in various forms of art, such as singing, playing musical instruments, dancing and sports. The theme of the Ignite session, “Art,” was chosen to highlight the connections and inspiration between technology and art. Two individuals stood out with their impressive breakdance and K-POP composition performances, leaving the audience captivated and inspired in just five minutes.

“The Bootcamp provides an opportunity to explore a spectrum of LG products, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, metaverse and web 3.0,” said Eom Wi-sang, head of Software Engineering R&D Lab. “I hope you all become developers embraced everywhere by acquiring the ability to trust colleagues and navigate complex concepts.”

While coding is a fundamental aspect of software development, LG Bootcamp recognizes that software developers require a diverse skill set encompassing software knowledge, technical expertise, requirements analysis, communication skills, teamwork and creativity. Acknowledging the long and challenging journey to becoming a software expert, LG Bootcamp seeks to transform aspiring software developers into seasoned professionals, continuously enhancing their capabilities.

The commitment to the growth of new developers entering the LG Group remains steadfast. LG Bootcamp pledges ongoing development efforts to provide continuous improvement and unwavering support. Observers are encouraged to keep a watchful eye on the transformative journey of LG’s new developers as they evolve into seasoned software experts, propelled by a supportive environment.

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* Survey results from Research Laboratory for the Twenties (link) and Comento (link).