We are proud to feature #VetsWhoCode in our new nonprofit showcase. #VetsWhoCode, previously known as FRAGO, is a Veteran operated nonprofit that trains military veterans in Software Development and prepares them to enter the technology workforce.
#VetsWhoCode founder, Jerome Hardaway, came out of the military at the height of the recession, after having served several tours overseas. In addition to the growing military-civilian divide, Hardaway also had to face the difficulty of finding employment in 2009 America. Finding that the tech industry was one of the few that hadn’t been ravaged by the market crash, he decided to focus on learning software skills, which he used to help a fallen veteran’s family raise funds to put their son to rest, and was awarded a Scholarship to the Web Development Immersive at General Assembly. This enabled him to polish the skills needed to create #VetsWhoCode and help early stage veterans make the transition to the software industry.
All veterans with an honorable discharge and who have less than one year left in the military or are up to five years out of service can apply to participate in #VetsWhoCode’s next session here. The training is entirely done online, allowing veterans from all over the nation to take advantage of this program. And, of course, it’s free. Hardaway takes a quality over quantity approach, teaching veterans in groups of 10 or less. The program focuses on Ruby on Rails, a framework and high functioning language that is easier to understand and allows the veterans to learn more languages through their coursework, such as JavaScript and SQL. #VetsWhoCode plans on adding full stack Javascript to the program later on this year.
Hardaway believes in the “teach a man how to fish” approach. In other words, if you give somebody the skills to get a job, you don’t have to give them the job — they’ll get it on their own. However, this doesn’t mean that #VetsWhoCode leaves veterans to fend for themselves once they have completed their training. On the contrary, the nonprofit has partners all over the country who recognize the skills that these veterans have to offer and often contact Hardaway asking if he has trained any veterans in their area.
In just two years, #VetsWhoCode has already trained 75 veterans across 12 different states. The success rate in terms of job acquisition is currently at 100%, the veterans’ yearly salaries ranging from $45K to $75K and adding up to 3.2 million dollars. In recognition of its impact, #VetsWhoCode received an invitation to the first-ever White House Demo Day in August 2015. Among more than 30 start-ups present at the event, #VetsWhoCode was the only veteran-operated nonprofit chosen to showcase. What’s more, the City of Minneapolis recently asked the nonprofit to be a partner in their TechHire initiative, hoping to help train and place veterans in tech roles throughout the city.
Hardaway plans to make 2016 the biggest year yet for #VetsWhoCode, and has turned to Donorbox to help make this a reality. He hopes to expand his team in order to help an even larger amount of veterans, and is very passionate about hiring the best possible team, who will work pragmatically yet still be patient and remember that the end goal is to get the veterans hired. If you are interested in supporting #VetsWhoCode and helping military veterans transition back into civilian life by closing the skill gap, donate HERE.
