Becoming a SoftwareEngineer:

Inspiring a New Generationof Developers

Outreach Programs

Mentorship

Apprentice Programs

Developer Schools

Programs like Railsbridge

“I got to meet people who werenew, instead of people who had

been doing it since they were five.”

“It creates an open andencouraging environment for

people who might otherwise self-select out of programming”

Mentorship

Mentorship is worth yourtime.

Being a great mentor

Ability to explain complexconcepts simply

Awareness

Patience

Weekly Retrospectives

Pairing

Empathy

Apprentice Programs

25%

“thoughtbot noticed there weretalented people who weren’t ready forfull-time consulting jobs with us, but

figured we could train them...”

Benefits much higher thanthe costs.

Why should companies bedoing this?

More developers for hire

Corporate SocialResponsibility

Supporting employeeswho want to

mentor/teach

Good will/vision ofcompany spreads

Developer Schools

“Along with learning to code andacquiring a job, The Flatiron

School really taught me to checkmy ego.”

Critiques/Controversy

Why is all of thisimportant?

Diversity

Lack of quality engineers

Failure of educationsystem

“Providing formal mentorship isimportant for retaining and

advancing underrepresentedemployees.”

- NCWIT

Access to computers andthe Internet

82% of CS graduates aremale

Financial Access

Discrimination Lack of Role Models

Lack of Encouragement

Barriers

Who’s hiring?

4 years

Expensive

Lack of real experience

Thanks.

@KinseyAnnDurham

kinseyann505@gmail.com

Works Cited:

http://www.sarahmei.com/blog/2010/02/20/scale-8x-slides-posted/Dave Hoover’s Apprenticeship Patterns

Women in IT Dr. Catherine Ashcraft and Sarah Blite for the National Center for Women inInformation Technology

http://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/ETAOP_2012_10.pdfhttp://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/NCWIT_TheFacts_rev2010.pdf

http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/BytheNumbers09.pdfhttp://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/07/12/11900/the-top-10-economic-

facts-of-diversity-in-the-workplace/www.railsbridge.org

www.gschool.itwww.blackgirlswhocode.com

www.railsgirls.comhttp://www.meetup.com/Women-Who-Code-Boulder-Denver/