Women Learning Code
* HTML/CSS course: taught by Seun Erinle, designer and developer for Grid Principles and founder of A.I.R. Labs * When: April 6-May 11, 6-8 p.m. * Cost: $75 * Registration deadline: April 4 * iOS development course; taught by Cory Wiles, a freelance iOS developer * When: April 8-May 13, 6-8 p.m. * Cost: $100 * Registration deadline: April 8 Both courses will he held at Lamp Post Group, 800 Market St.
Two courses aimed at getting more women into Chattanooga-area technology jobs will roll out next month at Lamp Post Group, tied to the White House's TechHire program.
The Tech Series for Women will teach the basics of HTML/CSS and iOS Development. In layman's terms -- and these courses are designed for those who know little or nothing about coding -- the HTML course will teach the basics of Web development and creating a website. The iOS course will help attendees learn how to build apps.
Lamp Post Group is one of more than a dozen local businesses and organizations on a local TechHire task force charged with determining the needs of employers, training new workers and recruiting candidates in underrepresented communities.
Earlier this month, Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke announced that the city was launching the TechHire initiative to increase access to technology training and IT jobs for Chattanoogans.
Lamp Post Group's vision is to "create a pipeline where every one of our job-skills programs ultimately leads to a job and helps deepen our talent pool here in Chattanooga," said Joda Thongnopnua, Lamp Post Group's communications director. "Instead of having to import talent all the time, we are doing the longer play to sustainably grow companies and sustainably grow talent."
The courses also should give the venture incubator a sense for whether there is enough demand to offer longer and more intensive training series for women.
"They are us testing the water," Thongnopnua said. "The idea is to see how we can rethink our apprenticeship programs. It's also a pretty intense focus on the diversity piece."
Seun Erinle, designer and developer for Grid Principles and founder of A.I.R. Labs, will teach the HTML course, 6-8 p.m. every Monday, April 6-May 11, with a registration deadline of April 4. Cory Wiles, a freelance iOS developer, will teach the iOS course, 6-8 p.m. every Wednesday, April 8-May 13, with a registration deadline of April 8.
The courses should give attendees a solid foundation for each course's respective pursuit. "That's honestly the hardest part for most people: How do you start?" Thongnopnua said. "This gives you resources for starting."
Early this month, President Barack Obama announced the TechHire initiative, a $100 million technology-training grant program with 21 participating cities. The program uses public-private partnerships to empower Americans with the skills they need through universities, community colleges and nontraditional programs like "coding boot camps" and high-quality online courses to rapidly train workers for well-paying jobs. This training can often occur in just a few months, as many of these programs do not require a four-year degree, according to Mayor Berke's office.
Contact staff writer Mitra Malek at mmalek@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6406. Follow her on Twitter @MitraMalek.