Collaboration across party lines is working towards creating information technology jobs and careers for the residents of middle America. This interesting information came to us from The New York Times in their article, “The Coders of Kentucky.”
Instead of outsourcing technical jobs to other countries, one organization invested in the people of Appalachia with training in coding, apprenticeships and careers.
A Louisville tech start-up, Interapt, advertised a 24-week course in coding, with an eight-week apprenticeship in 2016. They received 800 applicants, accepted 50 and graduated 35 in that first year. The success of the Interapt training program has depended on the enthusiasm of politicians from disconnected regions and opposing political parties.
It’s no secret that U.S. companies can save billions of dollars by doing business overseas. A recent Senate investigation revealed Apple paid a 2 percent tax on $74 billion in income by channeling profits through its offshore subsidiaries. And let us not forget such tragedies as the factory collapse in Bangladesh where some of America’s most iconic brands rely on labor overseas to produce cheap clothes.
Melody K. Smith
Sponsored by Access Innovations, the world leader in thesaurus, ontology, and taxonomy creation and metadata application.
