Code the Dream’s NC Rural Tech Initiative offers training in software development specifically to residents of rural North Carolina.
In the Fall of 2020, we are offering a pilot program for 10-20 rural residents interested in software development to participate in 3 months of high-quality online classes. Depending on your current level of experience, you will have the opportunity to participate in entry-level classes or advanced training.
Successful students will be eligible for more advanced Code the Dream classes and/or for consideration for the Code the Dream paid internship.
Class Details
- Application Deadline: October 9
- Class starts: Week of Nov 2
- No previous coding experience required (though good basic computer skills are required).
- Access to a computer and reliable internet are required, but we can possibly help you identify resources depending on where you live.
- Expect to spend 10-20 hours per week on class work.
How to Apply
Visit the application webpage and apply directly from there. Choose the “NC Rural Tech Initiative” when it asks which class.
www.codethedream.org/apply-now
Why Focus on Rural?
The wealth gap between rural and urban communities has grown dramatically over the last three decades. The rapid growth of the tech industry has played a large part in this rural-urban divide, as most high-paying tech jobs were only available to people with advanced degrees willing to work in densely populated urban and suburban areas. That meant that residents of rural North Carolina counties like Burke, Halifax and Warren, were excluded based on both geography and educational attainment — with only 17%, 14% and 16% of residents over 25 having bachelor’s degrees, respectively.
However, as the employer demand for these skills has sky- rocketed, traditional education has not kept up, and employers have largely abandoned previous requirements that all computer programmers have computer science degrees. Instead of looking for a costly degree, most employers are now willing to consider equivalent hands-on experience.
Simultaneously, many tech employers are looking to move some or all of their workforce out of high-cost areas, either by opening new offices outside established urban centers, or by opening up remote work options to their workforce; remote positions have increased 91% over the last 10 years. Together, these trends remove important barriers to a growing rural tech economy.