Talent is equally distributed; opportunity is not.

The challenges of the 2021 workforce are much in our minds right now – from employees who are reconsidering their job options to employers struggling to find the right people for their jobs. 

And while the work of ZipCode Wilmington was important before the pandemic, it’s doubly important now. 

In this week’s podcast, I talk with my friend Lossie Freeman, the Director of Corporate Partnerships at ZipCode Wilmington.  (Lossie is also a member of the DCF Board of Directors.)

Zipcode is a 12 week coding bootcamp, after which the graduates – well they simply get good paying jobs, and have a chance to start or re-start their careers in the coding world.  The program is open to anybody.  Said Lossie, “we exist to break down the barriers that keep people from accessing good quality training opportunities, training opportunities that result in job and employable skills.”  And that they do.

I’m particularly taken by is the motto that talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. In the coding world, which is notably dominated by white men, 33% of Zipcode’s graduates are underrepresented minorities in tech, and 31% are women. 

It’s a great program. Check out the podcast here.