Students learn tech skills in Lorain County program

ELYRIA — After spending weeks learning technology and coding, Lorain County students are almost finished designing websites for mock clients. Student Web Corps is a new program in Lorain County this year. Students spend about six weeks doing web development and deployments for mock small businesses. Representatives from area organizations funding and sponsoring the program visited the 16 students Wednesday. Makhyi Smith, a student in the program, said it's been a nerve-wracking experience since she wasn't familiar with coding. But she said it's something that she's been able to grow into and get more comfortable with. The program was started in Columbus about a decade ago. Tech Corps Executive Director Lisa Chambers said it was designed to create marketable skills tied to a growing job sector. While technology jobs have exploded recently, Chambers said they aren't seeing the diversity they'd like in the sector. Volunteers from area companies act as clients for the students, who build mock websites. The small businesses include a computer repair shop, software development company, dog walking/sitting company and a bike rental/repair shop. Professionals from Bendix and Austin Powder served as the business owners for the small business. They meet with the students weekly to provide feedback on the websites. In other regions of the state, Chambers said they've run the program long enough to see some students make careers out of technology. Students can participate in the program even if they have had no previous experience with coding and technology. They are put on teams of four to five to work for the mock client. More than 40 Lorain County students applied for the program, with 20 slots available. Capacity for the program depends on the funding available for it. Some families don't qualify for the program because they earn too much money. The application process runs through OhioMeansJobs Lorain County, which supplies the hourly wages students get. The program is also sponsored by the Community Foundation of Lorain County. Community partners and funders discussed how to expand the program in Lorain County and make it more accessible to students. A majority of the students who took part in the program were from Lorain Schools. Others were from Lorain County Community College, Lorain County Joint Vocational School, Elyria Schools and Oberlin Schools. Lorain County Workforce Development Youth Program Manager Jeremy Cordes said the two biggest barriers to students participating is a lack of follow-up or they aren't eligible. He said it's important that information about the program is put in front of the kids multiple times as early as possible. Chambers said there also needs to be more support to get families through the application process, as it can be complicated. Other organizations suggested setting a stipend outside of OhioMeansJobs so more students could be eligible to participate. Students can run through the program more than once. When they do that, Chambers said they're elevated to leadership roles and advance in skill development. But when students are eligible, Cordes said transportation in Lorain County can be a barrier to getting to the site of the program at the Lorain County Urban League in downtown Elyria. For students living in Oberlin, it would be hard to get to the site unless they have personal transportation. The program does offer gas cards for families who have vehicles and bus passes for families near a bus stop. Cordes said transportation is something that can be worked on. As the program expands in the county, Chambers said they can look at multiple satellite offices like they do in Columbus. Most students said that after the experience, they'd be open to a career in technology. Only one student said it's something they don't want to do in the future. Chambers said that's OK, too. The purpose of the program is to help figure out what students do and don't like, she said. Antoine Ross, another student in the program, said he appreciated meeting new people and learning skills that he'll probably need later in life. He said it's a lot of work because if something in the code is wrong, the entire website can mess up and it has to get fixed before moving forward. But Ross said he enjoyed the experience and it's something he'd stay open to. Contact Laina Yost (440) 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com.