Social Good Organization Empowers Women and Diverse Populations in Tech

we-can-code.pngJanuary 30, 2015 (Cleveland, Ohio) – We Can Code IT, a Cleveland-based social good organization empowering women and diverse populations in technology, will begin offering full- and part-time coding bootcamps in the spring. We Can Code IT teaches high-demand tech skills to low- to moderate- income earners, increases diversity in tech, and helps alleviate poverty through education and employer partnerships. The bootcamps will take place in We Can Code IT’s Midtown (Cleveland) location.

Coding bootcamps immerse students in the most in-demand programming languages and technologies over the course of three to five months. Students learn rapidly because of a single-subject focus, collaborative environment, and problem-based approach.

The first We Can Code IT bootcamp, a full-time all-women bootcamp, begins on March 9th and will run for 12 weeks. Subsequent full-time, part-time, and co-ed bootcamps will be offered. Students will learn the front-end and back-end programming skills they need to start entry-level jobs in software development, web development, and related positions. We Can Code IT also provides job placement in coordination with partners such as Hyland, creator of OnBase, and StreamLink Software.

Mel McGee, CEO of We Can Code IT, recognizes a need in the community to get underserved populations the tech skills they need for new lucrative IT careers. “Engineering software and teaching technology for nearly 20 years has given me perspective. I believe nearly everyone can learn how to code.” she says. “If you have the dedication, if you’re willing to work, we’re here to teach you. Not only do you learn the most in-demand skills, we train you how to think like a developer in a welcoming, collaborative environment.”

Great companies know that multiple perspectives help their teams perform better, yet less than 18% of IT teams are comprised of women, African American, and Hispanic populations. We Can Code IT bootcamps address the needs of employers who can’t find enough computer programmers along with needs of those unemployed and underemployed who need tech skills for career changes.

Three of the top five most in-demand occupations are in computer programming, and there will be more than 1 million unfilled tech jobs in IT by 2020. First year software developer salaries in Cleveland average around $50,000. The average experienced software engineer nationwide earns over $90,000 a year. “It’s a no brainer,” says McGee. “Clevelanders need careers that offer financial security. Employers need software developers. The most successful companies understand the financial gain they experience when employing diverse teams.” We Can Code IT hopes to have a significant socioeconomic impact on Cleveland, a city whose poverty rate is nearly 50%.

We Can Code IT will continue to offer its innovative computer science and engineering workshops to kids, and educator training at its  location, libraries, schools, and online.

 

For more information or for an interview with Mel McGee, please contact:

Shana Mysko, We Can Code IT Community Outreach Director, Phone: 844-932-2626 Ext. 702, Email: Hello@WeCanCodeIT.org, Website: http://WeCanCodeIT.org.

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