Success for Zip Code Wilmington can be defined in many ways, but Executive Director Desa Burton lights up when she talks about a recent student who loaded everything he owned into a car and drove to Wilmington from Dallas to join the program.

“He had every intention of going back to Texas, but he got a job here and is very happy. We have students who come to us from across the United States and its territories, such as Atlanta, Brooklyn, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, who are applying for or now have jobs here in Wilmington,” Burton says, adding that about 75% of her students stay in Delaware after graduation. “Zip Code attracts high-level talent to this area. Wherever these out-of-state students are, opportunities are not working for them so they’re willing to move here. Now we’re working on introducing more businesses outside our region to see that Delaware checks all the boxes for their employees in terms of quality of life, housing affordability, infrastructure, and resources available for young families.”

Considered one of the nation’s top three nonprofits of its type, Zip Code Wilmington is a 12-week coding bootcamp that gives students the technical, interpersonal, and leadership skills needed to secure a competitive developer job and increase their earning potential. Burton beams when asked about the non-technical part of the curriculum.

“We have an amazing professional development program. Sometimes that’s all I hear about in the final interviews,” says Burton. “Our hiring manager has more than 10 years of improv experience and he uses that to help the students with active listening, being able to answer questions, and move and flow in different interview settings. They get a resume when they leave. We help them create or fix up their LinkedIn profiles. We work with them on networking and teaching them how to do that. It’s really neat to see how having that secret sauce really makes such a big difference in the outcome of the student.”

Zip Code Wilmington’s training program offers two course tracks – full-stack Java Development with Spring Boot, Angular, and MySQL as well as Data Engineering and Analytics based on Python, R, and SQL.

When Burton arrived at Zip Code Wilmington in September 2019 – armed with an MBA and law degree she earned after leaving the military — she says she was “basically being put in charge of a very successful startup and being told not to break it.” Besides having to learn human resources, finance, accounting, she was suddenly being asked to “think not like a lawyer, but like a businessperson, especially when COVID hit.”

“We had to be innovative. We had to be scrappy. We had to get out there and make changes in the midst of a crisis,” she said.

Asked about her student demographics, Burton says the answer is different today than it was when she became executive director.

“I would have just told you then average age 35, career changers, adult learners,” she says. “After putting in all these innovative new programs, I can tell you we teach people 16 years old to 60. We were in seven high schools last year, teaching front-end software development.” Teaching in Delaware’s high schools is new. Burton explains, “Zip Code Wilmington is well known for training up folks who may or may not have gone to college, have some work experience or who may have already been in their career 5, 10, 15 years, and are either looking to change because the end is coming, or they don’t want to go back to school to get another degree if they have a degree. Some tried the degree route but didn’t like it or didn’t have the money for it. For some reason, they’re at a place where they need to get into tech and this is the way that they want to do it, through a 12-week course. As we view it, talent is distributed evenly, but opportunity is not. We provide opportunities!”

It costs Zip Code Wilmington $15,000 to train someone, although students will not pay more than $12,000. It costs a student $6,000 upfront to enter the program. If they get a job with a corporate partner, that company will pay the remaining $9,000. If they get a job with a non-corporate partner, they’re responsible for the remaining $6,000.

There are “scholarships” for students who served in the military or fall into a “needs-based category (i.e., 200% below the poverty line). Burton says those are the only ways that students don’t pay that initial tuition.

Placement fell in 2020 during the pandemic, when companies froze a lot of positions, to 61%, from previous years when Zip Code Wilmington placed students at a rate approaching 90% within six months. But Burton says things are picking up, with JPMorgan Chase announcing in January that they hired more than 30 Zip Coders in 2020. For now, the size of the cohorts reflects job placement forecasts – from 35 before the pandemic to 25 over the past 18-24 months – but placement is returning to an average of 80% and cohort size should return to normal as the economy improves.

Zip Code Wilmington had to be nimble and switch to training remotely in March 2020.

“Our instructors were concerned that the students would not have the same experience, that they would not bond as well, that they would not retain the knowledge as well,” says Burton. “I knew that this was not going to be a two-week deal, so we needed to figure out how to make it work and be remote for an extended period. We launched virtual training on March 13th.”

Zip Code started off with Zoom sessions but supplemented it with collaboration platforms such as Discord and Slack.

“Communication between the students never dropped. They can work freely together in a remote environment, connect with each other at will,” Burton says. “Everyone thought you must be next to each other to code, to look at each other’s screen, and touch each other’s keyboard. But now that we’re remote, everything is virtual. They’re able to meet, deliver training, edit code, and connect online seamlessly.”

“I told every remote student that they could set up a time to come in and meet with an instructor who can work with them in person. On the first day, they asked about it but once they started working online, no one asked again. It just worked out really well.”

Burton says there hasn’t been any difference in picking up the material between different age groups or other demographics.

“I think a virtual environment makes it much easier for people to just judge you based on your merit. I think in a virtual environment you have less of that “ism” happening because if an employer really needs to get a product off the line, they need to get coders in ASAP. The last thing they’re worried about is what are you wearing because guess what? They’re seeing you on a remote screen and they’re really focusing more on your code than anything else.”

Burton says Zip Coders are different from students that are going through the for-profit programs around the country, most of whom don’t disclose their placement rates and other outcomes like her organization does.

“Zip Coders are just different. They’re team players. They are hungry for change. They are committed, dedicated. There is just something about their personality that is so cool. I hear it a lot from candidates for our program. Other coding bootcamps are mostly for-profit. They’ve got to make money. They need to get people through the door and churn them through to get the tuition and then churn through the next one. They’re not really focused on figuring out the quality of the education that they’re given, because they don’t have to worry about that. We stick with our students for the next three to six months to make sure they get a job. We are incentivized to do so because we are transparent in our outcomes and report them on our website. Also, we do not receive the remainder of their tuition until our graduates get their first job.”

“Our mission is to help build the economy of this region. I can’t do that if people are coming in and not getting jobs. I can’t bring in 200 people during COVID when I know there’s no jobs out there, just so that I have money in my bank account. That doesn’t work. And so that’s why we’re different. They can train regardless of what’s happening in the economic environment. I cannot.”

Employers who had job freezes in 2020 are coming back too.

“Pre-COVID, some employers were consistently hiring. They were there for every power interview week, which is that week after the students finish the training. Other employers were periodic and would show up at certain points of the year. I’m seeing more activity now from both those who consistently hired and from those periodic employers. They’re coming in more often and they’re hiring more people.”

Online training is here to stay at Zip Code Wilmington. Burton says, “Because of what we learned during COVID, because of the fact we were able to do remote training and broaden our outreach, and I want to continue to do that. Not to the detriment of the region, but to attract people here.”

Companies often send their employees to Zip Code for either upskilling or reskilling, two fairly interchangeable terms. They may send someone who’s been in customer service for 10 years, knows everything about the company and its culture, but they want to put them into a technical role. Or they were in a testing role of some kind but want to expose them to Java programming. Or they invite Zip Code in to teach a group of people a skill, particularly if they want to improve their diversity (DE&I) numbers.

“In some cases, they want to move the needle in a very short period of time,” says Burton, adding that larger companies often go into universities and hire diverse people who don’t have technical skills and ask Zip Code to teach them how to be coders.

Enrollment over time has been about 31% female and about the same for Black and Latino students. The program was designed to lower the barriers of entry – making the training accessible and affordable to all – which has resulted in remarkable diversity outcomes over its six-year history.

Looking ahead over the next 12 to 15 months, Burton would like to get its placement numbers back up to pre-COVID levels or better; incorporate online learning into the strategy of Zip Code going forward, and get into more high schools to do front-end training and expose students to coding possibilities.

“Right now, about 65% of Delaware public schools have computer-science training; I think the state should be in the 90s, whether that’s with us, with Pathways, or a university,” Burton says.

As far as industries go, Zip Code Wilmington works mainly with the financial sector with companies like Chase, M&T Bank, CSC, Marlette Funding, and Capital One. “I would like to broaden that and get our eggs into some other baskets,” says Burton, adding that InterDigital came through “in a big way” over this past summer by giving Zip Code Wilmington the money to launch that program in those high schools across the state.

“I was talking to a couple of cohort graduates yesterday who met at Zip Code and now have a young daughter. They told me that because of Zip Code, they have money for daycare and can start a college-savings fund. They both have new cars, and they’re comfortable paying their bills without worrying. That to me is success.”

“The number one concern for out-of-state employers is having access to a labor force that can meet their needs. And I think it’d be very important for employers to know that Zip Code can scale. We can train more people if there are more jobs. We train to the jobs that are available or that look they’re coming available. If employers are considering moving their headquarters here or opening a second location in Delaware and they’re worried about whether we have enough coders coming in, that won’t be a problem. We can do custom training. If they need 100 people ready to go when they open the doors, we can help them achieve that goal.”

Burton says she doesn’t see the organization opening, for example, a Zip Code Buffalo or St. Louis, but the pandemic experience of offering training remotely makes it easier to support corporate partners with offices in other locations.

“It’s something we hadn’t really considered before. When we trained solely in Wilmington, in person, our reach was somewhat narrow. Now that we’ve grown from all this innovation, we can see that there’s a lot more that we can do with a broader geographical footprint without leaving Wilmington are or losing focus on our commitment to the greater Delaware region.”

Finding a new place to settle and begin a new career journey can be a daunting experience. For Georgette Lang, however, the decision was easy. The Doctor of Chemistry is familiar with bouncing around: she was born and raised in Louisiana where she also got her undergraduate degree in chemistry, and then she traveled to Texas to receive her doctorate from Texas A&M University. At both institutions, she was able to participate in various chemical research opportunities alongside faculty members. In April 2018, an Adesis recruiter approached Lang, offering her the opportunity to work for the contract research company in Delaware. Lang held no hesitation in her enthusiastic response.

Adesis is a chemical company that works with and for other businesses to help solve issues through chemically oriented solutions. With the best chemists on board, Adesis can efficiently assist their clients with all their chemical needs. With headquarters located in Delaware, Adesis serves the entire United States with their chemistry problems.

“My name is Georgette, and I’m a chemist at Adesis. I was born in Louisiana, and I did grad school at Texas A&M. I was there for about eight years.

I talked to a recruiter, and he said, “What do you think about moving to Delaware?” And I said, “Awesome, that’s great! Let’s try that out.” And so, I’ve been here since April of 2018.

Living here is great. We really like to go to historic New Castle and, you know, throw the ball with our dog, and take her for walks. One of the best things has been the seasons. We get to experience outside in all different weather. In the south, it’s very hot in the summer. You can have like 100 days of 100-degree weather. So, in the winter, you can just suit up and go out and play. In the summer, you can go to the beach, you can go out by the river, you can do lots of stuff like that.

My fiancé is a chemist as well. Luckily, he was able to come work at Adesis. But, if not, there were plenty of other opportunities for him here or even in Philly. We have a few people who commute. But being a chemist there’s lots of opportunities here.

There’s always something really cool and interesting going on.”

Delaware – A Great State to Live, Work and Play

When Lang moved to Delaware, she did so for her job; ever since her decision to relocate to Delaware, she has felt nothing but positivity toward the state and the community. Her  job at Adesis has been a successful one, and even Lang’s husband works there now.

In addition to providing the perfect opportunity for work, Delaware has been a great place to live. Lang loves the changing of the seasons, something she never got to experience when she lived down south. There are numerous destinations to travel to, and Lang says some of her favorites include New Castle, where she and her husband walk their dog together, and the beach. The state boasts a plethora of features that anyone can enjoy.  Like Lang discovered, there is something for everyone in the state of Delaware. Whether found through work or play, the First State can be the perfect home for so many people.

September 27, 2021 – 

While many small businesses closed their doors in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, country music star and Delaware native Jimmie Allen was opening doors and contributing to the First State’s economy.

During his keynote speech at the 2021 Millennial Summit, Allen explained how he employed more than 50 people by delving into the transportation business.

“I know nothing about dump trucks,” Allen admitted. “But we got six dump trucks and hired people that drive them.”

Allen’s companies Sussex Septic, Role On Transportation, and Del Made gave people jobs when there were few to be found. The multi-platinum performer said these new investments are part of his plan to build an “empire.”

“The empire I’m trying to create isn’t just for me,” Allen said. “It’s to create jobs for family, for friends, and for other people.”

Allen, who grew up in Milton, Del., broke into the country music scene in 2018. That year, his singles “Best Shot” and “Make Me Want To” both hit #1 on the Billboard Country Music Airplay chart and went platinum. Since then, his duet “This Is Us” with Noah Cyrus has gone gold and he’s released “Freedom Was a Highway” with Brad Paisley – the video for which shows Allen wearing Del Made logos.

In 2021, he won New Male Artist of the Year at the American Country Music Awards – the first Black solo performer to win this award. He also created and headlined the Bettie James Fest concert event in Milton, published a children’s book called “My Voice is a Trumpet” and joined Season 30 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

“For me, it’s about expanding,” Allen said. “The reason why you expand is because, if your foundation is narrow, once you get to a certain height, it tips over.”

He explained that the wider the foundation, the higher up he can go.

“If you expand your foundation, you have no choice but to go up,” he said.

Allen went to Delaware State University and later the University of Delaware to get a “degree in people.”

“I knew I wanted to be an entertainer, so I needed to understand how different types of people move,” he said.

Once he got that “degree,” he told his family he was moving to Nashville.

“They said, ‘When?’ I said, ‘Tomorrow,’” Allen recalled. “So, I packed up my little Chevy Malibu and went to Walmart and bought an air mattress. I had $21 in my bank account.”

That’s when his journey began.

After stopping at random locations along the way where he could use computers to search for living quarters, he found a trailer on 18 acres he could rent, but the electricity wasn’t turned on.

“I had no money to turn it on,” he said. But he quickly realized that he didn’t need electricity because he would only be there to sleep.

After living there for a while, the owner decided to sell the trailer for $300. Unfortunately, Allen couldn’t afford to purchase it, so he moved into his car.

“The car situation really wasn’t that bad,” Allen said. “That’s just ‘right now.’ I never really worried about ‘right now.’ To me it’s all about where you want to go and the sacrifice you gotta make to get there.”

Allen was working at a gym where he could wash his clothes, exercise, and meet people.

“I worked in a snack bar, so I borrowed food to eat,” he laughed. “I started networking. I met Christian artists, country artists, and started spending time talking to them at the gym.”

He began learning the difference between business and networking, talent and drive.

“Talent is 10 percent of what you want to get out of life,” he said. “The other 90 percent is being able to withstand the word ‘no.’”

Through this experience, he developed the philosophy of never staying at a job longer than six months.

“What happens is, if you’re at a job for six months and you’re financially comfortable, and you can take care of yourself and your family, you feel like that’s it, that you’ve made it,” Allen said. “To me, making it is the internal success, and internal success comes from what makes you completely happy. If you’re making $100 a month or $1 million a month, it doesn’t matter, as long as you’re happy.”

He never wanted to settle for being comfortable while chasing his dream. He wanted to reach his goals on his own terms.

“One consistent thing over my journey – and if you talk to anyone who is successful – it’s following your own path,” he said. “Do what makes you happy no matter what the circumstances.”

He focused on his goal and never gave up.

“Life has obstacles all the time,” Allen said. “But it’s not about the obstacles, it’s how you’re going to get through it, around it or over it.”

Allen auditioned for “America’s Got Talent” and appeared briefly on Season 10 of “American Idol,” but didn’t get his big breakthrough on either show. Finally, in 2016 – nearly 10 years after he arrived in Nashville – he was invited to a Writer’s Round. Allen explained there were three songwriters on the stage, and each one performed songs they had written either for themselves or someone else. Participating was an easy decision to make after hearing the perks.

“I found out they were going to pay me $200,” he said, “and I got a free meal.”

When the session concluded, Ash Bowers — co-founder of Wide Open Music — approached Allen.

“He said, ‘Who are you signed to?’” Allen recalled. “I said, ‘Nobody.’”

Bowers explained he was the owner of a small publishing company, but offered to introduce Allen to anyone in town he wanted to meet.

“I said, ‘Tell me more about you,’” Allen said. “What I liked about Ash is, he had a small company, but he believed in me, and that’s the biggest thing.”

After hearing about Ash’s publishing company, Allen signed with Bowers. And the rest is history.

“It took me 10 years to get a record deal, but I compare that to trying to be a doctor or nurse,” he said. “That takes forever, too.”

With all his success, Allen hasn’t forgotten where he came from.

“Delaware made me,” Allen said. “If I hadn’t grown up here how I grew up, I don’t think I’d be where I am.”