Earlier this month, ACT | The App Association co-hosted another installment of our Coding a Career event series alongside our partners Apple and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) at the Delgado Community College City Park Campus. This event brought together some of New Orleans’ most engaged officials, business leaders, educators, and students for a day of programming focused on giving students actionable insights into how to turn an interest in computer science and coding into a lifelong career.
Coding a Career
This second installment of our Coding a Career event series featured a keynote address, panel discussion, and a hands-on workshop featuring Apple’s Swift Playgrounds with a focus on how students can turn their coding skills into a career; the skills companies look for when hiring developers for their teams, and practical advice on how to take the next steps towards a future career in development.
Our event kicked off with opening remarks by the App Association’s very own executive director, Chelsea Thomas, followed by a keynote address from Veneeth Iyengar, the first executive director for broadband development and connectivity for the state of Louisiana. During Chelsea and Veneeth’s remarks, attendees learned more about opportunities the app economy can offer innovators and what a reliable broadband connection can mean for future opportunities in our industry.
the state of Louisiana is on a mission to get folks in every perish a relatable broadband connection. over the next 18 months, rural areas in the northern part of the state are going to be fitted with #fiber internet and there is so much more to come! #CodeACareer pic.twitter.com/6JutYnYLOc
— ACT | App Association Members (@actmembers) February 1, 2023
Our panel featured speakers from local businesses and an academic representative from Delgado who discussed how students could leverage the skills they are learning into a career in tech while also highlighting additional skills needed in the app economy and its workforce. Their insights ranged from technical advice around carving a career path to the importance of finding and building community as you make your way in the app economy. Panelists included: Skillltype Founder and CEO Tony Zanders, Delgado Community College IT Recruitment Manager Matthew Williams, The Idea Village Program and Events Coordinator Sean Mulligan, and Revelry Labs Director of Engineering Jason Pollentier.
GREAT point by Tony “you don’t need to be a technical person to work in #tech. you don’t have to know how to code to help create technology. there is a job for everyone within the tech industry.” #CodeACareer pic.twitter.com/ISOzE96O7N
— ACT | App Association Members (@actmembers) February 1, 2023
“finding spaces where the #TechCommunity is crucial to getting started. finding people who you can relate to is a really powerful thing. join tech meetups and pitch competitions because you will find community.” Sean Mulligan, Program and Events Coordinator @TheIdeaVillage pic.twitter.com/4RhE8aHirY
— ACT | App Association Members (@actmembers) February 1, 2023
After the Coding a Career panel, attendees connected with panelists over lunch to ask questions and learn more from our lineup of amazing speakers before kickstarting our hands-on hour of code! During our hour of code, led by Delgado’s Matthew Williams, attendees experienced hands-on with Swift, a powerful programming language created by Apple and used by the pros to build today’s most popular apps.
and now for the the hands on part of our day 😈 you can’t #CodeACareer without the code! @delgadocc pic.twitter.com/n81xzXctke
— ACT | App Association Members (@actmembers) February 1, 2023
Until Next Time
The App Association, along with Apple and LCTCS, was proud to host our second Coding a Career event in Louisiana. We’re excited to continue working with communities across the United States to promote a vibrant app economy.
While you can’t find this event on our YouTube channel, you can get a tl;dr in our Twitter thread here.