LOUISVILLE, KY (Sept. 28, 2015) – Code Louisville, the tech training program that drew praise from the White House earlier this year as a national model, has again been recognized for its rapid growth and innovation.
EnterpriseCorp, an arm of Greater Louisville Inc., has included Code Louisville among its 2015 Hot Dozen – the area’s most promising and innovative early-stage companies and projects.
Code Louisville, operated by KentuckianaWorks, provides free, 12-week training to prepare people for the growing number of higher-paying computer software coding jobs.
“Louisville is leading the nation to solve the high-tech skills gap, arming citizens with the knowledge they need to have fulfilling careers, and businesses with the trained workers they need to be successful,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “We’re fired up about that, so the Hot Dozen recognition is perfect.”
“It’s exciting for Code Louisville to be included with fast-growing and cutting-edge companies and projects that are changing how people view our city and region,” said Michael Gritton executive director of KentuckianaWorks. “The local and national recognition, plus the huge response from people of all ages who want this valuable training are all evidence that this was the right idea at the right time.”
Code Louisville began in November 2013 to help meet the needs of local businesses seeking trained technology workers. It is projected that by 2020, there will be one million more computer programming jobs in the U.S. than workers to fill them, with more than 10,000 of those jobs in the Louisville Metro area.
Interest in Code Louisville exploded after President Barack Obama visited in April and spotlighted the program, which was used as a model for the national TechHire initiative.
The current Code Louisville class, as well as one that starts in January, are already full, and sessions that begin in April are filling up quickly. Its students come from diverse backgrounds, cultures and education levels and range in age from 18 to over 60. More than 30 graduates have been placed in jobs; many others are currently interviewing.
More information about Code Louisville is available at www.codelouisville.org.
KentuckianaWorks is the Greater Louisville Workforce Development Board.