Codesmith Launches Elite Coding Academy HQ in LA Addressing Tech Talent Gap

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - May 7, 2015) - Codesmith, an immersive coding academy, today announced it has established its headquarters in Playa Vista at the heart of the burgeoning Los Angeles tech scene. Designed to address the growing need for skilled software engineers while also inspiring innovative entrepreneurs, Codesmith will open its professional level coding program this summer. Codesmith is also launching its summer academy college program in LA as well as top university campuses across the country. The college academy is specifically designed for college students who want to jumpstart their career and have a competitive advantage with a background in software engineering. Codesmith is currently accepting applications for its professional and college-level programs, both beginning on June 29.

"A few coding schools have launched, but the educational quality varies dramatically, and there are not enough of them to keep pace with the exploding demand for talented engineers," said Chad Troutwine, CEO of Codesmith, a seasoned entrepreneur who previously co-founded Malibu-based Veritas Prep, the largest privately held college test preparation and admissions consulting company in the nation. "Codesmith is designed for those looking to master modern programming, hone the critical reasoning skills employers covet, and transform their lives by joining a supportive and dynamic community. Los Angeles has an untapped talent pool and endless opportunities for innovation -- Codesmith was engineered from its inception to unleash that talent."

Codesmith LA HQ
Codesmith HQ in Playa Vista is a custom-built 12,000 square foot educational campus designed to optimize the learning environment. Students work in pair-programming teams learning the rigorous curriculum designed by industry insiders and delivered by expert teachers. The campus also boasts a high tech studio, an event space for social and vocational meet-ups, dedicated wellness space, community dining, and a taproom. Codesmith also offers access to an exclusive professional network. Codesmith students will:

• Learn to think like software engineers and future entrepreneurs;
• Acquire mastery of JavaScript, the most high demand and versatile of all the modern programming languages;
• Create real products they can showcase to potential employers or scale into actual companies;
• Forge powerful social and professional bonds with like-minded classmates that will last throughout their careers;
• Network with more than 40 leading LA tech companies during Codesmith's Recruitment Week.

"Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo moved to Playa Vista because Los Angeles has emerged as an epicenter for technology," said Troutwine. "Codesmith can help close the talent gap by training a new generation of software engineers to thrive in those in-demand jobs."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for software engineers is projected to increase at a rate of 22.8 percent between 2012 and 2022, a much faster than average growth rate compared to all other occupations. The Labor Department also reports that software engineers made a median salary of $92,660 in 2013.

Codesmith College Program
In addition to opening its headquarters in Playa Vista, Codesmith is launching the first of its college summer academy programs in four locations across the US, including the campuses of Harvard, UC Berkeley, University of Missouri-Kansas City and Codesmith LA. The eight-week college program is designed for ambitious students who want to build incredible production-level apps, graduate with in-demand skills and a portfolio of projects to land a competitive internship or even start their own venture.

"Our students will learn professional level software engineering and build ready-for-market apps with instructors who created the very technology they use," said Codesmith CTO Will Sentance, who met Troutwine while the pair were students at Harvard. "We're incubating a tight-knit community that our graduates will carry through life as they take roles at top companies, such as Google, Facebook and Dropbox. We're proud to be training a generation of future leaders in tech that come from non-traditional backgrounds and bring a new perspective to this incredible field."

Interested students are encouraged to apply before May 31, or sign up to attend the next info session. Codesmith's professional class begins every several weeks, starting on June 29. The college summer academy runs for eight weeks during the summer and also starts on June 29. To apply, visit www.codesmith.io/apply.

About Codesmith
Codesmith is an immersive coding academy with selective professional and college programs based in Los Angeles in addition to satellite college programs housed on top university campuses. With its rigorous curriculum and high standards, Codesmith prepares young professionals and college students for competitive job opportunities, helping them master in-demand skills. Codesmith was designed to train a new generation of entrepreneurs, software engineers and problem solvers who graduate with the ability to create transformative products and companies. For more information about Codesmith and our coding programs, visit www.codesmith.io or follow on us Twitter @codesmithio.