By 2020, there will be one million more computer programming jobs in the U.S. than workers to fill them, and 10,000 of those jobs will be in the Portland metro region. To close the skills gap and prepare area residents with the skills needed to land these jobs, Worksystems has teamed up with Treehouse to build the region's future technology workforce through Code Oregon.
Today's Code Oregon launch marks the region's most aggressive workforce development program. It provides free coding education to 10,000 Portland metro area residents through Treehouse's online learning platform. Worksystems will then place graduating Treehouse students in jobs with leading technology companies with the help of The Technology Association of Oregon.
Code Oregon Provides National Job-Creation Prototype for High Demand Software Careers
Code Oregon serves to not only bolster the technology talent pipeline to help the state's growing software sector, but also supports Treehouse's national Code-to-Work initiative, which is designed to teach anyone how to code and then secure jobs in the industry.
"Initiatives like Code Oregon help people find high-paying, rewarding jobs more quickly," said Ryan Carson, co-founder and CEO of Treehouse. "We want to start the Code-to-Work movement, which will take someone from no experience, to job-ready, to a rewarding career - all without a degree and zero experience. The rules are all changing. You just don't need a Computer Science degree any more to get an amazing job in the tech industry."
Code Oregon will use Treehouse to teach people in-demand skills in web design, app design and programming. Worksystems will sponsor and distribute 10,000 Treehouse online learning accounts to help area residents' learn coding languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP and Ruby, and development for iOS, Android and WordPress. Top students will be identified and receive additional career services, mentoring and training from Worksystems to be vetted as job-ready. With the goal of connecting job-ready students with leading tech companies, Code Oregon will host a fall 2014 job fair.
"Code Oregon will establish Oregon as a software talent capital and create a more vibrant and diverse technology workforce by helping anyone become a successful computer programmer," said Andrew McGough, Executive Director of Worksystems. "We are excited to create a prototype that can be scaled across the state and country to reboot depressed economies and provide a career path to high-wage jobs."