LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After graduating with a computer science degree, Joey Mudd thought about becoming a high school technology teacher. “Then I got into being a professional developer and really loved it,” said Mudd.  

What You Need To Know

  • Code Louisville is a KentuckianaWorks program

  • It offers no-cost software development training

  • The program provides tech training, job placement support and mentorship

  • The program launched in 2014

That was 12 years ago. He has been working as a software developer ever since. The vice president of engineering at Virtual Peaker, a cloud-based distributed energy company, is also one of Code Louisville's longest serving mentors. 

Code Louisville is a no-cost KentuckianaWorks program that trains and supports Louisville residents to enter software development careers. The program offers a variety of pathways including web and software development, data analytics and user-experience design. 

Code Louisville mentors have donated 15,000 hours to the program sharing their experiences, expertise and advice. “Getting involved with Code Louisville and being a mentor let me sort of fulfill in a small way, that desire to teach and share knowledge,” said Mudd. 

The program was launched in 2014. By 2020, the program had placed 500 graduates in tech jobs around the community.

Over the past two years, the number is up to 780 graduates placed across over 300 companies, a 50% increase. 

“Since the Code Louisville program began, employment in the region’s tech sector has grown by 20% so obviously we’ve got the right program in the right place at the right time so we’re going to keep that going as we look to the future of the program,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. 

Hiring 14 Code Louisville graduates for full-time technology roles, Virtual Peaker is a top program employer. “Code Louisville works,” says Mudd. “It’s truly remarkable to me. I know that there are a number of coding boot camps around but a lot of them are very expensive and have, from my understanding, fairly mixed results.” Code Louisville graduates make up 25% of the company’s workforce and many have become tech leaders.

“Our first Code Louisville graduate that we hired, now leads our entire internship program. One of our early graduates is a team lead. I mean, they really just do remarkable work,” says Mudd. 

Mudd appreciates Code Louisville participants’ courage to shift careers and their unique experiences. “They bring really interesting and valuable perspective because they’re from so many different, non-traditional pathways into software,” says Mudd. 

In a way, he is learning through mentoring. 

To participate in Code Louisville, you must be at least 18 years old and live in Jefferson, Oldham, Bullitt, Shelby, Spencer, Henry, or Trimble County. The program is funded by Louisville Metro Government and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

For those interested in pursuing a career in tech, registration for the next Code Louisville training is open. Those classes start in January. 

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