Traditional tech education is lagging behind industry needs. Sigma School, a Malaysian startup, has set out to change this. By reimagining tech learning to include hands-on, real-world skills, Sigma is creating a pipeline of job-ready coders who can meet the demands of an ever-evolving tech landscape.
In today’s fast-paced tech industry, a chasm has emerged between what is taught in conventional tech programs and what the job market actually requires. While traditional education leans heavily on theory—think exams, quizzes, and textbooks—the demands of the tech industry are quite different.
Employers increasingly look for candidates with hands-on experience, ready to contribute on day one.
Malaysia’s projected economic growth next year faces challenges due to a widening skills gap, particularly within high-tech industries. The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) has warned that, although the 2025 budget is comprehensive, a shortage of skilled workers in manufacturing and IT sectors could stifle this growth. This skills shortage may also impede Malaysia’s productivity over the long term and slow the adoption of new technologies.
Deputy Economy Minister Hanifah Hajar Taib reported a 37% rate of skills-related underemployment in the second quarter, while youth unemployment has remained steady at 10.6% since February, affecting 306,000 young people. The high youth unemployment rate highlights a mismatch between the skills that young workers possess and those required by the job market.
Companies like Nvidia Corp, Infineon Technologies, and Google, which have committed to investing in Malaysia, have echoed concerns over the shortage of qualified labor. In response, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged the private sector to work with government institutions to develop talent, emphasising the need for more targeted training to equip younger workers for high-tech roles.
Sigma School, a coding bootcamp based in Malaysia, has also recognised this disconnect and is taking a project-based approach to bridge it.
“We see the biggest gap as a lack of practical, hands-on experience,” explains Sigma’s founder, Deric Yee, a self-taught coder who has navigated the maze of tech learning and hiring firsthand.
“Many graduates leave with a good grasp of theory but limited exposure to real-world application. Employers today want proof of project-building experience and the confidence that these graduates can apply their knowledge. Yet, traditional curriculums rarely prioritize real-world projects,” he adds.
Sigma’s model flips this approach, putting real projects at the center of learning to cultivate both skill and confidence among students.
The Journey from Theory to Practice
Yee knows all too well the challenges of self-teaching in a structured field like programming. He recounts his own experience with trial and error: “I spent countless hours on tutorials and videos, learning languages like Python, Ruby, and JavaScript, only to find myself unable to build an application from scratch. I was stuck, often going back to copy-pasting solutions.” This hands-on struggle became a guiding principle in designing Sigma’s curriculum.
Students at Sigma spend 80% of their time coding, with the remaining 20% dedicated to learning “just enough” theory to support real-world applications. From day one, Sigma’s model emphasises creating and problem-solving.
For instance, students are tasked with recreating popular apps such as Instagram and Twitter. By tackling these projects, students build portfolios that showcase their skills and address the experience deficit that plagues many traditional tech graduates. “It’s like learning to swim,” he says. “You can watch hours of tutorials, but one hour in the water makes all the difference.”
Beyond Code: What Tech Giants Taught Sigma
Sigma has crafted its approach in part by learning from instructors with experience at global tech companies.
“Tech giants are fast-paced environments where code must be optimized, scalable, and adaptable. The fundamentals are similar everywhere, but tech giants place a premium on collaboration, clear documentation, and efficient coding.”
To emulate this, Sigma’s curriculum integrates group projects and agile methodologies, giving students a taste of collaboration, a skill highly prized in large tech teams.
Sigma’s focus on scalable solutions also prepares students to navigate the tech world’s ever-increasing complexity. Instead of solving a problem with a one-off solution, Sigma teaches students to consider the “long-term, real-world applications” of their code, ingraining habits that are vital for professional success.
A Job Guarantee and the Promise of Automation
Sigma isn’t just about teaching students to code. It’s about getting them hired. With a unique job placement guarantee, Sigma refunds tuition for graduates who don’t land a tech job within a year of graduation.
The confidence comes, in part, from Sigma’s wide network of hiring partners and its new tool, Jobier, an automated job search platform that scans multiple boards and applies to roles on students’ behalf. Jobier, which allows students to upload their portfolios and resumes, streamlines the job hunt, giving graduates a head start even before they leave the program.
Tailored for All Skill Levels
Sigma’s program is designed to accommodate a range of experience levels, from beginners to those with some coding background. Structured into four modules—Fundamentals, Front-End, Back-End, and Full-Stack Development—each segment combines theory with practical projects.
“We’re big on flexibility,” says Yee. “Part-time and full-time options allow students to tailor the pace to their needs. In addition, real-time mentor support ensures that students stay on track and get the guidance they need to succeed.”
Tech Education in an Evolving Job Market
Looking forward, Sigma sees multiple trends shaping tech education. First is the rise of AI, which requires students not only to learn machine learning fundamentals but also to understand ethical AI usage and data-driven decision-making. Cybersecurity, too, is becoming integral to every tech role, with companies increasingly demanding that even software engineers be versed in security principles.
Cross-functional skills are also growing in importance, as companies seek full-stack engineers who can handle the entire stack, from UI/UX design to data management. Remote work, solidified by the pandemic, has created a need for skills like asynchronous communication and self-management, which Sigma addresses through collaborative tools and project-based assessments.
Feedback Loops: Evolving the Curriculum
Sigma keeps a pulse on student needs with a rigorous feedback system. After every lesson, students rate instructors, exercises, and materials. If ratings dip below 8/10, the team investigates and adapts the curriculum as necessary. “We’re serious about being relevant,” the founder notes. “Tech moves fast, and we adjust with each batch to make sure our students get what they need.”
What’s Next for Sigma?
The team at Sigma is currently focused on bootstrapping to maintain control over growth. The founder explains, “We want to refine our service, figure out our product-market fit, and streamline our internal processes. Fundraising might come later, but for now, we’re committed to solidifying our market position.”
Sigma’s ultimate goal is to make entry-level tech roles accessible to those without traditional degrees. With plans to expand into data analytics and data science and a recent launch of Codeo.ai—an app designed to provide a seamless entry point for beginners—the startup is betting on its comprehensive approach to make waves in tech education across Asia.
In an industry where tech graduates often find themselves underprepared, Sigma’s model offers a compelling solution. It’s a formula that emphasizes experience over theory, projects over exams, and industry alignment over tradition—an approach that might just be the future of tech education.