The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) has sponsored a pilot computer programming training project specifically targeted to “historically marginalized racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse youth.”
The project, entitled “Pathways to Software Engineering,” is funded by a grant from the DECD to the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC), a statewide network of over 100 immigrant advocacy nonprofit organizations.
MIRC has partnered with Boston-based Resilient Coders, the boutique recruiting firm IntWork — which matches employers primarily with “BIPOC, bilingual, & immigrant” candidates — the Delmar Group, and Blueprint Maine.
“This collaborative effort will train historically marginalized racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse youth across Southern Maine for careers as software engineers,” MIRC stated in a Monday press release announcing the project.
“This fall, a cohort of diverse youth will learn to code, for free, with a stipend,” MIRC said.
The taxpayer-funded 18-week “coding boot camp” will from Aug. 11 to Dec. 12, 2025, and students enrolled in the program will receive a $500 biweekly stipend.
Resilient Coders, the organization who will be teaching the course, has a “participant interest form” for the project that specifically states they are looking for applicants from a “racial, ethnic, or linguistic minority with advanced-level English proficiency.”
Resilient Coderse say that graduates from their 18-week program have gone on to work at companies such as Accenture, Audible, and Uber.
0 Comments