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Master Software Engineering the Right Way.

A rigorous, mentor-led apprenticeship where you earn a monthly stipend while you learn. Complete real projects, get expert code review, and get paid for your progress every month you keep up.

Free to apply · Monthly stipend · No CS degree required

Two professionals collaborating on code in a modern office
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Mentor Sarah reviewed your submission

Binary Search Tree — Approved ✓

100%
Hands-on projects
48h
Average review time
5
Task types supported
Cohorts can run at once
Two engineers pair-programming side by side

OUR MISSION

Make the path from learning to code to shipping production-quality work repeatable, structured, and humane.

Who We Are

Built by engineers, for engineers.

Forgeng started because we saw a gap: too many programs teach students to pass interviews instead of teaching them to ship. We're a small team of working software engineers who learned the craft the way it's actually learned — through mentorship from people who'd built real systems. We rebuilt that experience into something anyone driven enough can access.

Real work, not theory

We don't drill leetcode. Every task mirrors something a working engineer actually does on the job.

Mentors who ship

Reviewers are senior+ engineers writing production code today — not academics or career coaches.

Outcomes over vibes

Every submission gets an explicit verdict and concrete next steps. Progress is measurable, not vibes-based.

Life in the Program

What the Day-to-Day Looks Like

Mentoring sessions, code reviews, cohort syncs, pair programming — this is what real learning looks like.

A senior engineer mentoring a junior developer at a desk
1-on-1 Mentoring
Two engineers collaborating on a code review
Code Review
Technical discussion in an interview setting
Intake Interview
Cohort group meeting and discussion
Cohort Sync
Developer pair programming at a laptop
Pair Programming
Process

How Forgeng Works

A structured, repeatable path from applicant to skilled engineer — with a mentor beside you every step.

Applicant in a one-on-one discussion with a reviewer
01

Apply

Submit a short application telling us about your background, goals, and motivation. No CS degree required — we care about drive.

Cohort meeting around a table
02

Join a Cohort

Accepted applicants are placed into a cohort with a dedicated mentor and peers at the same stage.

Developer writing code at their computer
03

Complete Real Tasks

Work through structured coding assignments, reading modules, and projects inside your cohort timeline.

Two engineers doing a code review together
04

Get Expert Feedback

Mentors review every submission. You receive detailed feedback with a clear verdict — approved or needs work.

Developer reviewing progress on screen
05

Get Paid

Finish every task due that month and receive your monthly stipend — automatic and no negotiation needed. Complete the work, get the money.

Mentor celebrating a student's achievement
06

Level Up

Track your progress, build a portfolio of real work, and graduate with evidence of what you can actually do.

Four Types of Work

Every assignment is purpose-built to grow a specific skill.

Coding

Write and ship real code

Reading

Digest technical concepts

Projects

End-to-end deliverables

Quizzes

Check your understanding

Features

Everything You Need to Grow

Built to give apprentices the same feedback loop that top engineers enjoy at elite companies.

Monthly Stipend

Complete all your tasks for the month and receive a monthly stipend. You're putting in real work — you should get real compensation for it.

Real Projects

Every task is hands-on. You write code, push it to GitHub, and get expert eyes on it — not auto-graders.

Cohort Learning

You learn alongside peers at the same stage. Cohorts keep you accountable and motivated.

Mentor Feedback

Every submission is reviewed by a working engineer who explains exactly what to improve and why.

Progress Tracking

Your dashboard shows task completion, submission history, and upcoming deadlines at a glance.

Structured Curriculum

Tasks progress from fundamentals to advanced topics — no guessing what to learn next.

Fast Turnaround

Mentors aim to review submissions within 48 hours so you're never blocked waiting for feedback.

Two engineers sitting side-by-side doing a code review
The best part of this program is that you get feedback from engineers who actually ship code every day — not automated tests that just check if your output matches.

— Former Apprentice, now Mid-level Engineer

Mentor Feedback

Code Review That Actually Teaches You

Generic “looks good” isn't feedback — it's a missed opportunity. Every submission gets a detailed verdict with concrete suggestions, explained in plain language by a working engineer.

  • Written feedback on every submission
  • Approve or Needs Work verdict
  • Resubmit after revisions
  • Full history preserved for review
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Mentor Sarah

Senior Engineer

Approved

Great job handling the edge case in your sort function. Extracting the comparison logic into its own function would make this much easier to unit-test. Really clean solution overall!

Task: Implement a Binary Search Tree
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Mentor James

Staff Engineer

Needs Work

The core logic is right but error handling is missing. What happens on a 500? Add a try/catch and surface a user-friendly message.

Who Is This For

Find Your Place on the Platform

Whether you're learning, teaching, or managing — there's a role designed for you.

Applicant scenario
Applicant

Your journey starts here.

Fill out a 3-step application, tell us what drives you, and we'll get back to you. No fees, no prerequisites.

Apply Now
Student scenario
Student

Build. Submit. Improve.

Browse your cohort's task list, submit your work with notes, and read feedback on every submission.

Sign In
Admin scenario
Admin

Run the program.

Review applications, manage cohorts and tasks, and leave structured feedback on student submissions.

Sign In
FAQ

Questions, Answered

The things people most often want to know before applying. Don't see your question? Reach out — we read every email.

Still have questions? Start an application — applying is free and we get back to every applicant.

Ready to become a real engineer?

Applications take under 10 minutes. We review every one personally and get back to you within a week.