FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

---

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, December 6, 2016 — The mayors of Kentucky’s two biggest cities named Awesome Inc as an important element in their commitment to attracting jobs and foreign investment to the state.

With increasing concern about jobs across the country, mayors Jim Gray of Lexington and Greg Fischer of Louisville recently announced a plan to help Kentuckians increase their wages and opportunities for employment. The plan calls for both local and global efforts. Two of the key areas of focus are in software and IT. Both Gray and Fischer named the workforce training program at Awesome Inc as a model to help create economic change statewide, as well as strengthen foreign investment.

Awesome Inc is a Lexington-based organization committed to helping grow the high-tech and startup communities through various initiatives. Those initiatives include a coding school for youth and adults, as well as a training and mentorship program for startup companies with demonstrated market potential.

The Awesome Inc workforce training program that Gray and Fischer referenced is a web developer boot camp where participants learn how to code, going from beginners to web developers in 12 weeks, with a guaranteed job at the end of the program.

“Programs like Awesome Inc’s boot camp are vital to developing a next-generation workforce,” CEO Drura Parrish of MakeTime told the Lexington Herald-Leader recently in a profile of Awesome Inc. (MakeTime is an online manufacturing workplace.) Parrish told the newspaper that he expects to hire several people from the boot camp next year. “Education and training are no longer linear. This opens up so much opportunity.”

“We’re passionately committed to taking the state to the next level when it comes to high-tech opportunities for everyone,” said Brian Raney, co-founder of Awesome Inc.

Thirty-two-year-old Brett Fraley had been a machine operator at factories for many years when he found out about the boot camp. He decided it was finally time to make a change toward a more rewarding career. The compressed time period and low cost compared to a four-year degree made it the ideal opportunity for him. “The boot camp is the best decision I’ve ever made. The knowledge I’ve learned about programming and web development is only part of the experience at boot camp. I used to feel like I was facing a dead-end when it came to employment and planning for my future. Now, I’m optimistic about what’s ahead. I’m interviewing with companies, and I’m confident I can do the work.”

Based in Lexington, Kentucky, Awesome Inc exists to help grow the Kentucky startup and tech community. Its Awesome Inc U coding school trains youth and adults in software development. Its Fellowship program provides training, pro bono business services and access to mentors and investors for startup companies with demonstrated market potential. Awesome Inc is also the founder of the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. Learn more at www.awesomeincu.com.

Media Contact:
Amanda Murray
Director of Marketing
859-979-0456
amanda@awesomeinc.org

# # #