By Morgan Bryce
Editor
Birmingham start-up TrueCoders is opening a coding academy in the Auburn-Opelika area next in August.
With an office at 1500 Pumphrey Ave., newly hired Regional Manager Charlotte Conaway said their area of service encompasses Lee County and extends as far as Montgomery. She has been actively meeting with local businesses, industries and nonprofits to promote her company and the services it offers.
Instead of a two or traditional four-year college degree, TrueCoders offers students 10-week or six-month-long classes and are considered junior entry-level employee candidates upon program completion. Conaway explained that TrueCoders helps students hone their interviewing skills and resumes for career preparation and work with recruiters to make sure each student finds a career.
Currently, TrueCoders offers courses on coding’s four primary languages: C#, Java, Python and SQL. Depending on student needs or industry switchovers, Conaway said TrueCoders will add courses to meet those changes.
Conaway said the program “is revolutionary” because the program can be something “for people from all walks of life.” She added that average TrueCoder graduates earn an average of $50,000 to $60,000, some even as high as $70,000. Tuition for the program is $9,500, with most educational grants, loans or scholarships being accepted.
A TrueCoders graduate will be leading classes at the Auburn-Opelika campus. The first 10-week session will begin Aug. 6, with classes lasting from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students are responsible for having laptops and bring their own lunch. Night courses will begin in mid-September and last from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. three nights per week.
Conaway is searching for businesses or companies that would sponsor employees or individuals to promote education and their ideals.
“Not everybody is geared toward college or getting that four-year degree. This provides an opportunity for those people or students to go out fairly quickly into the workforce and earn a decent living,” Conaway said. “It is also beneficial for college students who wish to participate because it gives them extra hands-on experience that they can put on a resume.”
With the present job gap that exists in the Auburn-Opelika area, Conaway said she believes TrueCoder’s presence will help to alleviate that problem.
“A lot of manufacturers coming here are having to look in Atlanta and other places to get workers and it would be great for people to stay here and go to work in their town,” Conaway said.
For more information, call 205-530-8496 or visit www.truecoders.io.