Code for America was founded on the premise that the government could work for the people, by the people, and in the digital age. It has built a unique network of technology-savvy individuals and partner organizations passionate about improving workflow in government. Since launching 14 years ago, Code for America has ensured millions of Americans have better access to government programs and services. Its humanitarian exploits span workforce development, criminal justice, and social welfare.
If you're a tech enthusiast looking to impact America's government structure and workflow positively, the Code for America apprenticeship program, targeted at individuals from unconventional educational backgrounds, offers you a way to do so. In this guide, you'll discover the Code for America’s apprenticeship program tracks available, the Code for America apprenticeship salary structure, the Code for America apprenticeship hiring process, and Code for America apprenticeship reviews from former participants.
Code for America is a non-partisan, non-profit organization using technology to break down barriers in accessing government services and advocate and implement change in government at all levels. This organization uses ideas and insights from people to build technology-driven solutions, such as educational resources, software products, policy research and implementation, technology consulting and advisory services, technical support, and staff training, to help communities and government decision-makers tackle real human problems in the public sector.
Code for America has a modest employee base of 261 on LinkedIn and a 14-member board led by a chairperson. Although a remote-first organization, Its corporate headquarters is in San Francisco, California. Code for America strives to create a workforce as diverse as the country it serves. Its 2020 DEI report revealed that 50 percent of its employees were people of color, indicating a 10 percent growth from 2018. Sixty-eight percent of its directors were from marginalized groups, indicating a 51.4 percent growth from 2018. The report also showed that more than 50 percent of its workforce were still women.
Code for America was founded in September 2009 by Jennifer Pahlka, a Yale alum, to enhance the operational efficiency of the U.S. government through technology. Before establishing this 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization, Jennifer was deputy chief technology officer in the White House office of science and technology policy between 2013 and 2014. She also helped launch the U.S. Digital Service during the Obama Administration.
Jennifer has received recognition for her contributions to social change. Amongst her notable accolades is the internet and society award from Oxford Internet Institute, the Skoll award, and the MIT Kevin Lynch award. Over the years, Code for America has strived to effect a change in three areas: workforce development, criminal justice, and social welfare, including food assistance, health care, financial aid, and other basic needs. In 2016, it launched Clear My Record, an intake tool that connects ex-convicts with legal aid. It also partnered with the IRS to launch GetYourRefund to offer tax benefits.
In 2019, it launched GetCalFresh for senior citizens and those with disabilities to access healthy food across 58 counties. Code for America also launched a Brigade Program and a community fellowship program across seven cities, including Buffalo, Durham, Miami, Santa Monica, Savannah, Indianapolis, and Charlotte. In collaboration with the White House and the U.S. Department of Treasury, it launched the GetCTC Portal in 2021 to provide families more access to Child Tax Credit and other tax benefits. In 2021, it became the first tech NGO to recognize a workers union in its organization voluntarily.
In April 2022, Code for America announced the launch of its Safety Net Innovation Lab to partner with 15 states over the next seven years to expand America's social safety net to reach 13 million people and provide $30 billion in benefits. As an advocate of equity in government, Code for America collaborated with the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University, W. Haywood Burns Institute, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government Performance Lab to improve economic mobility and reduce racial inequality in Memphis through the launch of Opportunity Accelerator in 2022.
Over the years, Code for America has received support from individual and organizational donors such as Google, The Audacious Project, Blue Meridian Partners, Bill & Melinda Gates, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Cisco Foundation, and Ford Foundation. Code for America received notable mentions from top brands like Fast Company and the New York Times. It received an Anthem Award in 2022 for its efforts in making Child Tax Credit accessible and equitable. Yearly, it hosts a Summit for changemakers to exchange ideas and collaborate to solve government and public interest issues. The next summit will take place between May 16th and May 17th.
Code for America believes the government can work for the people, by the people, and in the digital age.
Code for America works shoulder-to-shoulder with community organizations and governments to build digital tools and services, change policies, and improve programs.
Three core values govern code for America’s actions. They include:
Code for America is not profit-oriented. However, it recognizes that the government is behind in its digital adoption and thus unable to meet the critical needs of underserved communities. This non-profit generates revenue from government decision-makers by providing technology-driven solutions such as educational resources, policy research and implementation, consultations, workforce training, and industry events through optimized software products to bridge the gap between critical government benefit programs and the citizens who need them.
According to the report from G2 Stack on Crunchbase, Code for America uses about 58 technology products and services and 64 website tools to facilitate IT operations. These products include HTML5, jQuery, Google Analytics, Ruby on Rails, and PostgreSQL. Most non-profit technology organizations also use developer tools such as PHP, Java, JavaScript, Go,. Net, Python, and Swift to create web and mobile applications. You should also expect to see business technologies like Slack, Zoom, Salesforce, and Asana, as they offer non-profit product packages.
The first Code for America apprenticeship was in June 2018 with three diverse apprentices: Anule Ndukwu, Gwen Rino, and Symone Singleton. It started as an experimental program intended to provide a learning avenue for both the apprentices and Code for America as an organization. The goal of the apprenticeship program was to provide all U.S. residents, regardless of race or educational background, equal access to tech opportunities. In 2021, Code for America was certain it wanted to create a team as diverse as the nation it served.
In 2018, the first apprenticeship was launched in software engineering and data science. Interested candidates were expected to commit to six months of immersive training and mentorship addition, during which apprentices will participate in internal projects such as Client Comm, Integrated Benefits Initiative, and GetCalFresh. Code for America assigns each apprentice to a team and a mentor as part of its training requirements. In recent years, the UX design and research apprenticeships have been offered sparingly.
The 2023 Code for America apprenticeship program will span for nine months full-time. At the end of nine months, apprentices may convert to full-time employees, depending on their track record during the program. In 2018, when the program was launched, it was limited to a six-month period. Between 2019 and 2022, an additional two months was added. However, candidates should expect an additional one month added to the standard eight months this year.
The software engineering apprenticeship program is for candidates who want to help tackle the service delivery challenges in the public sector using technology. Software engineering apprentices will learn how to develop and deploy software products to help users access government services. As an ideal candidate, you should have strong coding skills, an ability to learn new technologies, communication skills, and knowledge of web fundamentals and algorithms.
If you enjoy researching, this apprenticeship track might be best for you. As a UX research apprentice, you'll be allowed to aid government workers in conducting research that improves the efficiency of government service delivery. You'll learn to gather, analyze, and synthesize data alongside the qualitative UX research team to deliver actionable insights to users. Ideal candidates are passionate about developing skills in qualitative user research, have completed a course in UX research, and own a degree in anthropology, ethnography, or sociology.
The data science apprenticeship program isn't as popular as the software apprenticeship program. In 2018, only one apprentice made up the data science cohort. Nonetheless, Gwen, who participated in the first cohort, disclosed that she was assigned to a production team at the start of her six-month program. She recalls working with data analysis and modeling tools, conducting usability testing with SNAP applicants, and presenting her research results to the Center for Advanced Studies and the Association for Criminal Justice Research in Oakland.
While the UX design apprenticeship is sparsely offered, it's one of the most essential teams in the organization. As a prospective UX apprentice, you can increase your chances of being hired by building your web or digital design fundamentals skills, including hierarchy, prototyping, usability testing, and typography. You must also possess adept communication skills, particularly in writing, visualization, and presentations. Familiarity with design tools such as Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch is a plus.
Code for America aims to help all its apprentices transition to full-time employees in programs & operations, engineering & data science, and product & design departments at the end of their apprenticeships. If an apprentice is unable to transition to a full-time employment role, Code for America is committed to providing useful resources to help with their job search. According to its 2020 DEI report, all apprentices who participated between 2018 and 2020 were converted to full-time employees. Although data for the 2021 and 2022 cohorts are yet to be released, we believe the numbers are impressive.
Code for America apprentices are duly compensated for their participation. As a software apprentice at Code for America, you should expect to earn between $69,000 and $114,000 annually. Glassdoor estimates that Code for America qualitative researchers earn an average of $73,692, UX designers earn an average of $78,468, and software engineers earn an average of $156,226 annually. As an apprentice at Code for America, you'll also receive a one-time stipend to set up your remote workspace and $1,000 for professional development.
Along with an industry-sized base salary and bonus package, Code for America provides its workers access to benefits such as 20-day paid holiday, life and disability insurance, comprehensive health, vision, and dental insurance, financial and legal counseling, parental care resources, 401k program with a 3 percent match, flexible work hours, discounts, and wellness resources.
Code for America Apprenticeship Selection: How Are Cohorts Chosen?
Code for America's selection process is pretty straightforward. The apprenticeship targets candidates from underserved communities and minority groups who have had to rely on social safety net programs such as SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and TANF, have used government funds to pay for training programs, have filed for Earned Income Tax credit, or have experienced the backbone of having a criminal record.
Ideal candidates should have a certification or degree from a coding bootcamp or accredited college and foundational technical skills. Candidates should be looking to switch careers, reenter the workforce, or at the start of their careers. Code for America places a high emphasis on diversity and inclusion. In 2020, 63 percent of its staff were women. It kicked off its apprenticeship in 2018 with an all-female cohort.
Code for America Apprenticeship Program Interview: Is the Code for America Interview Hard?
The Code for America apprenticeship hiring process is easy. It starts off with qualified candidates submitting an online application, including a cover letter detailing their interest in the program and a resume that highlights related work experience and training. After the hiring team has reviewed your application, a recruiter will reach out to you for a phone screening,, and a technical assessment. If successful, you'll be contacted for interviews with a hiring manager and departmental members. Code for America conducts reference checks before sending out offer letters.
According to Glassdoor, Code for America interviews has a 3.0 rating for difficulty. The entire process may take an average of three to six weeks. The at-home technical exercise depends on your apprenticeship track. The phone screening should last between 15 and 30 minutes. The interview should last an average of one hour remotely, but may include an onsite visit. The interview questions combine technical and behavioral questions, with no trick questions included. You're allowed to ask the interviewer questions, too.
Code for America's apprenticeship cohorts usually contains two or three apprentices. The initial cohort was made of three females. Between 2018 and 2020, Code for America trained and converted eight apprentices into full-time employees. In 2021, it called for three apprentices. Some of its 2022 cohort members include Tashina Islam and Nishi Nelson.
Code for America Apprenticeship Cohort Frequency: How Often is a Cohort Hired?
Code for America apprenticeship cohorts is hired annually. Each year, Code for America announces the launch of an apprenticeship in January. It sets a one-week period for interested candidates to send in their applications. This usually occurs between April and May of each year. Applicants who pass the screening and interview stages can expect to resume in August of the same year. Code for America is yet to provide details for the 2023 application cycle.
Yes, Code for America is an excellent company to work for if you're a resident of the United States who's passionate about civic technology and interested in improving government benefit programs' efficiency. According to employee reviews from Glassdoor, Code for America has a 4.2 out of a five-star rating for demonstrating a strong commitment to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), a collaborative work environment, meaningful work, and good culture. Seventy-four percent of reviewers would recommend Code for America to a friend, and 81% approve of the CEO.
The Code for America apprenticeship program is a nine-month full-time training and mentorship program that offers individuals from non-traditional backgrounds, who possess solid technical foundations, the opportunity to build in-demand tech skills and earn a competitive salary. This apprenticeship is usually administered through four tracks: software engineering, data science, UX design, and UX research.
Code for America apprenticeship is an on-site program, however, it makes allowances for apprentices to work remotely when the need arises. All apprentices are expected to convene at the San Francisco office in California, where they'll be mentored by a dedicated mentor and a supportive, functional team.
Candidates who receive and accept Code for America's apprenticeship offers are expected to report at the headquarters for an onboarding exercise. After which, each apprentice is assigned a dedicated mentor and functional team. Right away, apprentices are provided chances to contribute to impact projects at the organization.
Code for America's News and Stories page contains updates on the latest press releases, blog posts, and announcements from the organization, especially updates on the apprenticeship programs, DEI trends, technology impacts, and job opportunities.
You should also follow the official Code for America Twitter page to know when application details for the various apprenticeship tracks are released. Code for America's YouTube page contains news about the organization's structural developments and expansion plans, especially its annual summit.
Besides Code for America's official Twitter page, you can get news about Code for America apprenticeship programs from its Careers page.
If you don’t want to track and monitor the Code for America apprenticeship program for yourself or are looking for support in an apprenticeship application, you can join apprenticeship.io to learn more and get support to land an apprenticeship program.
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