As Coal Country Struggles, Miners Find New Hope in Coding

The Takeaway | Aug 10, 2016

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview.

General Electric's CEO announced that all new hires, whether or not they're working in tech, will now be required to know how to code. New York public schools are also introducing mandatory computer science classes into their curricula.

These initiatives seem to indicate that coding is the key to getting hired and the panacea to all employment problems, and as the needs of the U.S. job market shifts, people are putting that theory to the test.

Coal miners in particular have suffered the brunt of the changing job market. With 40 percent fewer jobs than in 2012, coal miners are seeking out second jobs to support their families, and many have turned to coding.

Amanda Laucher, co-founders of Mined Minds, a free computer coding training program in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, is helping struggling coal miners in her area. Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear our full conversation. 

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