LaunchCode, recipient of Real Jobs RI grant, plans to open R.I. office

LaunchCode, which has been awarded a $350,000 Real Jobs RI implementation grant to help place nontraditional candidates into information technology jobs, plans to open a local office to help implement the initiative.
LaunchCode, which has been awarded a $350,000 Real Jobs RI implementation grant to help place nontraditional candidates into information technology jobs, plans to open a local office to help implement the initiative.

PROVIDENCE – LaunchCode, which has been awarded a $350,000 Real Jobs RI implementation grant to help place nontraditional candidates into information technology jobs, plans to open a local office to help implement the initiative.
Alex P. Miller, LaunchCode’s vice president of strategy, said the St. Louis, Mo.-based company has not picked a location yet, but is “trying to move as quickly as possible.”
To that end, he said the staffing company is in the midst of hiring two employees to staff the Rhode Island office.
The nonprofit also has operations in Florida, and will open a location in Kansas City, Mo., in the coming months.
The initiative, called “Partnership for Real IT Jobs,” features partnerships with employers such as Amica Mutual Insurance Co., Atrion, Citizens Financial Group Inc., CVS Health Corp., Purvis Systems, ShapeUp Inc. and OpenWorks Group.
LaunchCode also will work with Opportunity@Work, Tech Collective and Senedia on the program, which will place more than 200 nontraditional candidates into on-the-job training opportunities leading to full-time employment in the technology industry over a three-year period.
“We’re bullish we can make a significant impact,” Miller said.
The company has been recognized by President Obama’s TechHire initiative, a new campaign that works with communities to get more Americans quickly trained for well-paying technology jobs.
“There’s a lot of growth outside the traditional tech sector,” Miller said.
He said LaunchCode can help people who have a “skill and will” to be successful in a tech job, but lack traditional credentials.
“We can help advocate for them, either through direct job placement or a paid apprenticeship. We can help refer and guide them,” Miller said.
The program is free, he said, and potential participants will be able to apply online. Jobs in this sector include computer programmers and software developers, as well as positions in cybersecurity. The average salary starts at approximately $50,000, he said.
A typical apprenticeship would last approximately 90 days. Miller said 90 percent of participants are converted to full-time hires.
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo lauded the company’s plan to open an office here to launch its workforce initiative.
“To me, this is proof that our strategy is working. They’re choosing to open in Rhode Island. … It’s exciting,” Raimondo said.
LaunchCode was one of 26 grant recipients recently announced by the state Department of Labor and Training through Real Jobs RI to implement job-training plans.

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