LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The way we work has changed drastically since the pandemic began, whether people had to find new jobs or adapt to working remotely. At the same time, technology has continued to advance with the rising need for virtual communication. These two factors have sparked an interest in tech-related careers, like web development.
At Awesome Inc, innovators find a space to create, collaborate and learn.
“We actually exist to help people pursue their definition of awesome, whatever that might be,” said Awesome Inc founder Brian Raney. “The way that we do that is by building up an ecosystem around entrepreneurship and technology.”
Raney says that includes things like a Fellowship program for startup mentorship, events to pitch ideas, and, for those looking for new skills, a Web Developer Bootcamp. The bootcamp is something Rachel Jackson took advantage of, learning about HTML, JavaScript and other programming languages.
Throughout the bootcamp, Jackson realized just where these skills can be used, especially now when more actions are being done virtually.
“The more you think about it, basically everything is online at this point,” said Jackson. “Every company needs a website. Most websites use a database that you don't ever see. You have an interaction with a web developer every day, whether you know it or not.”
As Jackson and other graduates now look for a job, Raney says the rise of remote working pairs well with these skills. He expects to see more interest in web development careers as the pandemic continues and after.
However, not only does he expect to see people joining the career field, he thinks the shift from a traditional work environment has set up opportunities for entrepreneurs.
“I think the intersection of those two industries is where the greatest opportunities lie,” said Raney. “If you are, say, a student right now or you're just out of college or maybe you've had a job for ten or twenty years and you've got this idea and you think technology can be used to solve that idea, I think the appetite of our climate right now is really high for those solutions.”
