Patterson Unified adds adult coding class to increase job prospects. Apply here.
For the first time, Patterson Adult School is offering free computer coding classes, adding a high-tech option to its programs ranging from truck driving to certified nursing assistant training.
Patterson Joint Unified School District will pay Bay Valley Tech to train 25 students in a coding program beginning July 6, said Jefferey Rowe, the district’s director of career technical education.
Any Stanislaus County adult can apply for the program that aims to improve participants’ job prospects in the Silicon Valley and elsewhere by teaching them software developer skills.
“A lot of Patterson residents are already commuting to the Bay Area for work and some of them are commuting for jobs that don’t pay as well as coding jobs,” Rowe said. “It’s a great opportunity for our residents to gain the skills necessary to get good paying jobs, even if it requires commuting to work.”
Training looks to attract tech companies to Stanislaus County
The district’s $50,000 sponsorship comes after the Stanislaus County Office of Education and local businesses committed to funding coding lessons for other student groups, said Bay Valley Tech’s President Phillip Lan. By training Central Valley residents and building a local computer programming workforce, the Modesto tech firm’s staff hope to attract employers such as Google to the region. Lan noted how Google has announced plans to expand to states such as Mississippi instead of to nearby Stanislaus County.
““In order to do that they have to step over the Central Valley,” Lan said. “Just in the Stockton-Modesto surrounding region, we’ve got 1.3 million residents. That’s bigger than San Francisco and San Jose and yet we are constantly overlooked.”
One in five jobs in Stanislaus County is directly tied to agriculture or food manufacturing, according to a county economic development report released last year, which a committee determined puts the area at risk. Attracting tech companies to the region could help diversify the local economy, which already includes Novo Technologies in Modesto and will soon welcome S²A Modular in Patterson.
Coding program can build on Patterson High classes
The adult school coding class provided by Bay Valley Tech lasts for either seven or 14 months, depending on whether students commit to 10 or 20 hours a week. Those interested must have a computer and internet access, Rowe said, and complete some pre-course work as part of the application process.
To ensure applicants understand the commitment, Lan said the pre-course work includes introductions to coding languages and an online assessment. The prerequisites might not be anything new for Patterson High School graduates, however.
Patterson High already offers computer science program that comprises of three classes, Rowe said. Ideally, graduates from the program can apply for the Bay Valley Tech coding academy, build upon the foundation they learned and be prepared for an entry-level coding job.
To apply for the coding class, fill out the forms on the Patterson Adult School and Bay Valley Tech websites. Questions can be directed to 209-895-7739.
