LAUNCHCODE IS A NONPROFIT AND OUR MISSION IS
TO HELP PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS START CAREERS IN
TECHNOLOGY.
WE DO THAT BY PROVIDING FREE CODING EDUCATION AND THEN
WORKING WITH CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO GO THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS AND
WITH EMPLOYERS TO PLACE THOSE INDIVIDUALS INTO SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT POSITIONS.
SO OUR NORMAL CLASS RUNS FOR 20 WEEKS PART TIME.
BOOT CAMP PROGRAM.
WE CALL IT CODING 101.
ACCESS TO PEOPLE IN PEOPLE COMING FROM UNDERREPRESENTED
BACKGROUNDS.
FTC.
I LOOKED AT OTHER PROGRAMS AND THE COST IS LIKE $10,000 AND
THERE'S NO WAY I COULD AFFORD THIS.
SO I WAS VERY EXCITED, THERE IS GOING TO BE A SESSION STARTING
SOON.
SO SOME OF OUR FUNDING COMES THROUGH GRANTS WHETHER IT IS
FEDERAL OR STATE LEVEL GRANTS.
WE ALSO GENERATE REVENUE WHEN WE PLACE OUR GRADUATES WITH
EMPLOYER PARTNERS.
WHEN SOMEONE FINISHES THE FIRST 20 WEEKS SOME STUDENTS WILL BE
ABLE TO PLACE THEM INTO AN APAREN ADVERTISESHIP -- A PAREN
ADVERTISESHIP EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM.
WE SUPPORT THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS, THEY'RE BUILDING OUT
THEIR INTERVIEWING SKILLS, BUILDING OUT A PORTFOLIO OF WORK
THAT THEY CAN USE TO DEMO TO EMPLOYERS.
AFTER LAW SCHOOL I'M THINKING ABOUT GETTING A JOB, MY FIRST
YEAR ABOUT PROGRAMMING.
MY GOAL IS TO BE A EDUCATION DEVELOPER.
SO IN TERMS OF BARRIER TO ACCESS FOR MAKING I.T.
ACCESSIBLE, THE FACT THAT IT'S FREE IS A HUGE COMPONENT OF
THAT.
FTC.
PART OF THE REASON WHY I JUMPED IN TO THE LAUNCH CODE
PROGRAM, BECAUSE AT THAT TIME, I WAS WORKING PART TIME AND MY
HUSBAND WAS OUT OF A JOB.
I WANTED TO GIVE MYSELF AN EXTRA SKILL, WITH CODING BACKGROUND, I
THOUGHT IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL GOING THROUGH WITH
MEDICINE.
I ENDED UP HERE WITH LAUNCHCODE AND WHAT THEY DID.
SHE JUST HAS A MAG KNELTIC PERSONALITY FROM THE MOMENT YOU
MEET HER.
HER BACKGROUND PRIOR TO TAKING LAUNCHCODE CLASS WAS THAT SHE
WAS IN THE MEDICAL FIELD.
SHE DECIDED THAT THAT ULTIMATELY, SHE WAS MORE CURIOUS
ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY WORLD AND NOT ONLY DID SHE EXCEL, SHE WAS
THE KIND OF PERSON THAT LOOKED TO SUPPORT THOSE WHO WERE AROUND
HER IN THE CLASS.
WHEN WE LOOKED TO THOSE TO MATCH WITH THE OPPORTUNITY, IT'S A
GOAL THAT SORT OF INTERFACES BETWEEN DEVELOPERS AND CLIENTS.
AND WE KNEW THAT SALLY HAD KIND OF THE RIGHT KIND OF TECHNICAL
AND PEOPLE SKIMS TO KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK WITH THAT.
MY NAME IS SALLY, I'M THE CUSTOMER ASSOCIATE, FOR THE
CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
WASCO HAS HIRED ME FULL TIME SO I HAVE MATRICULATED OUT OF THE
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.
I THINK CONTINUING MY EDUCATION CONTINUING TO DEVELOP AND TO
GROW WAS MOTIVATED BY MY CHILDREN BECAUSE I WANTED THEM
TO SEE THAT VALUE THAT WE HAVE AS A FAMILY.
CONTINUE TO GROW IN SOME FORM OR ANOTHER.
SHE USED THE PLATFORM, SHE TOOK TO THE CUSTOMERS QUICKLY.
SHE HAS PICKED UP RESPONSIBILITY AS TIME GOES BY.
MY NAME IS TOM, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AT
WASCO.
WE HAVE AS MUCH OR MORE SUCCESS WITH PROGRAMS LIKE LAUNCHCODE AS
WE DO WORKING WITH TRADITIONAL RECRUITING FIRMS.
EMPLOYERS ARE MORE AND MORE WILLING TO HIRE BASED ON
PORTFOLIOS.
SHOWING WHAT YOU KNOW RATHER THAN HAVING A PIECE OF PAPER
THAT SAID, I DID COURSE X. IN THAT 20 WEEK TIME SPAN IT 98
BE HARD TO ACQUIRE IF TRADITIONAL SKIMS THAT ALLOW YOU
TO GO INTO A WORK ENVIRONMENT AND LEARN ON THE JOB AND IN A
RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BECOME A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF A
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
THE STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE OUR PROGRAM AND GET BASED INTO JOBS
WITH OUR EMPLOYER PARTICIPANTS MAKE AN AVERAGE SALARY OF AND
$50,000 A YEAR.
EFFECTIVELY, THERE ARE BASES.
PROGRAMS LIKE LAUNCHCODE HAVE BEEN FABULOUS.
I WOULD HELP THE TEAM TEST THE APP AS WELL AS EVALUATING
THE DEVELOPER'S CODE AND TESTING THE SOFTWARE TO MAKE SURE THAT
IT'S WORK BEING AND THEN I WILL LET THE DEVELOPERS KNOW OR MY
PROJECT LEAD KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES ARE.
LAUNCHCODE PROVIDED ME WITH THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK THE
TECH LANGUAGE AS WELL AS THE KNOWLEDGE TO LOOK AT THE CODE
THAT I HAVE PRESENTED.
AND TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND BE ABLE TO
COMMUNICATE WITH MY TEAM MEMBERS.
IF I DIDN'T HAVE AT A SKILL, I DON'T THINK THAT I WOULD BE
HERE.