CodeX Academy has partnered with some of Nashville’s biggest companies, with the goal of removing financial barriers for students and building stronger relationships with emerging tech talent.
The tech equity partnership is with Amazon, the Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators, Nashville Soccer Club, Vanderbilt University, Nashville State Community College and developer Tony Giarratana, according to a news release.
“CodeX is excited to expand our partnership with these generous companies and grow our Tech Equity program,” Phil Henry, CEO of CodeX Academy, said in the release. “The opportunities that our local leaders provide to our students are tremendous and help extend learning beyond the classroom.”
CodeX Academy is an online coding school. It was founded by Henry, Byron Sommardahl and Christian Morsing, with the goal of meeting some of the nation's growing demand for tech talent and provide a new chance for unemployed or low-income workers to tap into a high-paying profession.
Tech workers are in high demand across the U.S., particularly in Tennessee. From 2017 to 2022, the number of tech jobs in Middle Tennessee grew by 17%, according to the 2023 State of Middle Tennessee Tech report released in May by the Greater Nashville Technology Council and Middle Tennessee State University. In 2022 alone, businesses in the region posted on average almost 38,000 new tech jobs a month, which is 7,000 more than the national average for a comparable area.
Nashville has been targeted by tech giants in recent years for massive regional hubs, including Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) and Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN).
“We are committed to closing the skills gap with emphasis on the North Nashville and Antioch communities, offering students in need an opportunity to engage with these deeply important learning experiences," Burke Nihill, president and CEO of the Tennessee Titans, said in the release. “Organizations like CodeX Academy not only provide greater equity for today, but also ensure a more diverse workforce for the future."
The partnerships with these companies are designed to be a direct link between the community and the classroom. Each partner provides a financial scholarship, a mentoring framework and career coaching. The combined grant total of $146,000 will provide upskill resources for roughly 34 CodeX Academy students, according to the release.
As part of the partnership, each company will also support courses that prepare students with entry-level development skills, serve as mentors and school ambassadors, offer job placement opportunities through business programs and volunteer in person and virtually at the academy.
“This alliance coincides with Vanderbilt's enduring commitment to academic excellence, creating a culture of belonging and inclusion, and supporting workforce development in Nashville,” Alex Sevilla, vice provost for career advancement and engagement at Vanderbilt University, said in the release. “By pooling resources and expertise, we are amplifying our collective impact and laying the groundwork for a more diverse, skilled and equitable tech workforce for the future.”
