Across the nation, employers are experiencing a major shortage of talent possessing the skills their tech teams need. 

There are over 631,148 computing jobs currently open in America, with more industry growth predicted and at the same time, only about 90,942 computer science graduates enter the workforce each year to fill them. This gap will only continue to grow unless companies begin to hire differently and tap into new pools of talent. That’s where LaunchCode comes in! 

Adding new perspective to the tech workforce

LaunchCode exists to connect talent with opportunities in the booming tech workforce, and encourage employers to think differently when recruiting and hiring tech talent. 

LaunchCoder Andrea Pruitt started on the traditional path into a tech career and was pursuing a B.S. in Computer Information Systems. When her mother fell ill, she didn’t have the time or financial resources to continue the program while being a caregiver. Instead, she enrolled part-time at St. Louis Community College to study while balancing jobs until she found LaunchCode in 2020.

After completing LaunchCode’s Women+ course in St. Louis, Andrea was placed into an apprenticeship at Mastercard in 2021. Today, Andrea works as a Software Developer & System Platform Architect at Mastercard, and credits her unique journey into tech as one of the greatest assets she brings to her current role. 

Helping families achieve financial prosperity

LaunchCode also helps individuals transform their financial futures, which we know causes a ripple effect to their families and communities. 

Because many tech skill pathways like college degrees or coding bootcamps are often costly, they often exclude those without the financial capability to afford them.  Also, the effect of college loan debt often has a dangerous ripple effect on low-income individuals and their ability to be financially independent or stable.

LaunchCoder Orlando Perez was looking to make a change in his career when he found LaunchCode and in turn, found a brighter financial future. A former NCAA college football champion, Orlando’s background was in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, and he had worked for ten years as a physical education teacher. However, after he and his wife began raising their four boys, Orlando yearned for more financial freedom for his family. So he enrolled in LaunchCode’s Part-Time Web Dev course in Philadelphia in April 2022 – at no cost to him thanks to the philanthropic support provided by our community.

This motivation kept him determined throughout the course, until he received great news on his last week of class in October 2022.

On average, our programs help individuals like Orlando more than double their annual income, providing a stable foundation for families to grow, thrive and give back to their communities.

Nearly ten years of impact

Since 2013, we have helped over 3,100 individuals launch careers in technology with more than 900 employers across the country, and we continue to see hundreds of individuals learn skills through our no-cost tech and career training programs each year.

Mayela Zambrano started her apprenticeship at Centene Corporation in June 2021, and worked her way up with a promotion to Sr. Data Engineer in November 2022 — a job offering greater financial stability than her previous work as an adjunct university professor.

Career transformations like Andrea’s, Orlando’s and Mayela’s wouldn’t be possible without companies like Centene committing to hiring differently. Transformations also happen thanks to the generosity of donors who ensure LaunchCode’s tech training and job placement programs can continue to be offered to learners free of charge. 

Thank you for making LaunchCode’s work possible, and we look forward to continuing to close the tech skills gap in years to come.

Thank you to these key funding partners: 

American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation     |      AT&T     |     BairesDev           

Bullhorn     |     Charter Spectrum     |     Citi     |     Crawford Taylor Foundation   

Mason L. Dean Foundation     |     First Bank     |     Gateway to Innovation

Hall Family Foundation     |     Hunter Engineering     |     Missouri Technology Corporation

Pettus Foundation     |     PNC Foundation     |     RGA Foundation     |     SkillBuilders Fund

U.S. Bank Foundation     |     Verizon Foundation     |     World Wide Technology Foundation