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June 19, 2020AlbanyCanCode Launches Expansion With Introduction of KingstonCanCode
AlbanyCanCode announced the organization’s first expansion outside of New York’s Capital Region with the launch of KingstonCanCode. Aimed at providing workforce training and creating job opportunities in the technology field – with a strong focus on serving underrepresented populations – KingstonCanCode is the only comprehensive program in Ulster County offering educational instruction, career guidance, and a dedicated employer network to empower individuals in the Hudson Valley region.
This summer, KingstonCanCode will offer digital literacy training in collaboration with the Workforce Investment Board. That will be followed in the fall by a Front End Web Development course conducted in partnership with SUNY Ulster. Additional classes, including K-12 educational offerings, are expected in the future.
“Creating opportunities in tech for underrepresented populations has always been our primary mission,” said AlbanyCanCode Founder & CEO Annmarie Lanesey. “We know that communities outside the Capital Region can benefit from our unique programs, and we’re incredibly proud to expand our work to Kingston and Ulster County with the launch of KingstonCanCode. We are delighted with the support and partnership we’ve received thus far, particularly from Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, and we can’t wait to get started.”
“This program will provide an opportunity for residents of the County to transition into well-paying jobs that will drive the County’s success for the future,” said Ulster County Executive Ryan. “This is one of the most important economic initiatives we have seen in Ulster County and is key to our realignment efforts to ensure we come out of this stronger. I have seen firsthand how effective these programs are and I am excited to welcome AlbanyCanCode to our community during this critical time.”
Since its founding in 2016, AlbanyCanCode has:
- Provided more than 200 Capital Region adults with workforce training in software development
- Paired 68% of its students with tuition assistance
- Helped students achieve an average salary increase of $19,000 per year
- Introduced over 900 K-12 students to careers in software engineering
“We have received inquiries from across the state and beyond with requests to expand our program,” Lanesey continued. “Since being contacted by Abe Uchitelle in 2018, we have grown to understand how special Kingston and Ulster County are. The Kingston area faces the same challenges we have seen in the Capital Region and has the same opportunity to deliver successful outcomes.”
Uchitelle, who also serves on Ulster County’s legislature, was hired earlier this year as AlbanyCanCode’s Regional Director. “I’m so excited to bring this program to our community, and to help plan future expansions to new communities as we build upon the momentum with KingstonCanCode. This program fills a vital need in building a talented local workforce and connecting that talent with area tech employers.”
AlbanyCanCode’s expansion has been made possible in part by a recent $50,000 investment by Facebook, as well as a grant from the Workforce Development Institute (WDI).
“Bringing communities together through technology is at the core of Facebook, and that’s exactly what AlbanyCanCode is doing,” said Lisa R. Harris, Director, State and Local Economic Development Policy for Facebook.
“Investing in the future of work in New York is our mission at WDI, and we are excited to help AlbanyCanCode expand their work to Kingston, NY in service of that goal,” said Mary Jane Bertram, WDI Regional Director for the Hudson Valley.
KingstonCanCode’s first offering later this month will be a digital literacy course, provided virtually, in partnership with the Workforce Development Board. This fall, KingstonCanCode will be offering its Front End Web Development course in partnership with SUNY Ulster, with additional courses expected to follow.
“We’re delighted to partner with KingstonCanCode to address the digital divide that the COVID-19 crisis has revealed for Ulster County residents,” said Tomasine Oliphant, Director of the Ulster County Workforce Development Board Ulster County Workforce Development Board.
“SUNY Ulster is delighted to be partnering with AlbanyCanCode to provide Ulster County residents yet another pathway to obtain high-tech workforce training in a high-demand, high-growth field. Their approach is well tested in the Capital Region and aligns perfectly with SUNY Ulster’s goals of improving the economic mobility of Ulster County residents,” said Chris Marx, Associate Vice President for Workforce, Economic Development and Community Partnerships.
AlbanyCanCode’s success is enriched by partnerships with a host of employers, with 47 organizations in the Capital Region having hired AlbanyCanCode alumni to date. Work is now underway to build a similar network in the Hudson Valley. Stew Meyers, Co-Founder of software firm Exago which recently expanded its Kingston office, explained how AlbanyCanCode’s mission addresses their goal of hiring locally, saying “when we chose to invest in Kingston, we knew that we were investing in a community – and that means hiring a talented workforce from within that community.”
At this time, AlbanyCanCode and KingstonCanCode are the only officially recognized CanCode programs. The organization is currently fielding inquiries from additional regions interested in offering programs in their communities.
