PITTSFIELD, Mass — CanCode Communities, a nonprofit organization training non-traditional talent for software career opportunities, announced the launch of its initial BerkshiresCanCode program: Front-End Web Development. 

 

Registration is now open for the 12-week course, which starts on May 10 and runs through July 28.

 

"We're thrilled to offer our first-ever adult workforce course through BerkshiresCanCode, and to begin to serve this rapidly expanding community of software and technology companies," said Annmarie Lanesey, Founder and CEO of CanCode Communities. "It's exciting to work with untapped talent and equip people with the skills to pursue lucrative tech careers, while also ensuring the presence of a diverse and vibrant talent pipeline that supports the region's high-tech aspirations."  

 

This is the first course to be offered by BerkshiresCanCode, which represents a collaboration between CanCode Communities, educational partner Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and community partners Berkshire Innovation Center and 1Berkshire. 

 

BerkshiresCanCode delivers programs that upskill residents for tech career opportunities, and assist employers by developing a pool of skilled software coders, developers and engineers.

 

"CanCode Communities offers wonderful programs for people seeking new and better opportunities," Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Vice President of Academic Affairs Richard Glejzer said. "We are so excited to be able to welcome CanCode to Berkshire County and are looking forward to the development of a great partnership with BerkshiresCanCode."

 

The Front-End Web Development course will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:45 to 8:45 p.m., and offered in a hybrid format: in person at MCLA-Pittsfield, 66 Allen Street, and online in a virtual environment. More information and registration are available at https://cancode.org/course/berkshirescancode-front-end-web-development/.

 

The Front-End Web Development course includes tutorials, assignments, and individual and group projects that give students hands-on practice in building the pieces of code that determine how an online experience feels, and connects the user experience with the data-crunching processes of the back end. Through lecture and individual assignments, students will establish foundations in the key tools used by front-end developers: HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript, Git and GitHub. The latter part of the course features team-based portfolio-building projects for community organizations, giving students real-world experience in web design and development.

 

"We are looking forward to continuing our constructive relationship with BerkshiresCanCode, which has already spurred several professional development opportunities for Berkshire County educators," Berkshire County Superintendents' Roundtable Executive Secretary Bill Ballen said. "In addition, we are excited to be partnering with BerkshiresCanCode in planning new programs for the next school year, including a coding initiative for high school students that will launch this fall."

 

The course may be of particular interest to graphic designers, as it teaches the technical skills necessary for UI (user interface) development and wire-framing. The course may also be attractive to beginning programmers with aspirations to create mobile applications, as it establishes foundations in JavaScript that support eventual progression into Full-Stack Web Development.

 

Launched in 2016 as AlbanyCanCode and rebranded last year, CanCode Communities now includes 7 entities: AlbanyCanCode, KingstonCanCode, NewAmericansCanCode, SaratogaCanCode, HerkimerCanCode, NewYorkCanCode, and BerkshiresCanCode. More than 300 students have graduated from its courses, securing tech jobs with leading employers – including Accenture, Goldman Sachs, New York State Office of Information Technology Services, MVP Healthcare, and Zones, among others – and receiving average annual salary increases exceeding $18,000.