Jul 21, 2015 2 min read

Greene County residents interested in taking free entry-level computer programming classes should stop by Nemacolin Fire Hall Saturday for an information session and class sign-ups.

Mined Minds, an organization formed by Amanda Laucher, a software developer and native of Nemacolin, will offer free computer programming classes at the fire hall on weekends beginning in August.

The informational sessions Saturday will be held at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. and give people an idea of what the training will entail. After the sessions, there will be time for those interested to talk with the instructor and sign up for the initial course.

Anyone can participate. There are no age or educational requirements.

Weekend classes will begin Aug. 15 at the fire hall and run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Remote tutoring sessions will be held with G+ Hangouts every Wednesday night.

“Our goal is to give attendees enough skills so that they will be employable as entry level computer programmers in the ever-expanding and highly paid software industry,” said Laucher, who is based in Chicago, Ill.

Laucher said she decided to initiate the training program after hearing from family members in the county about the need for jobs and the closing of area coal mines.

The organization hopes to help dedicated attendees find jobs locally or to work from home and potentially create a thriving local tech scene, she said.

The courses are free. The organization is in the process of trying to obtain grants and donations to fund the purchase of laptops for those who don’t have them already. The groups also has experts in computer programming committed to providing additional support and training.

“We are looking for people with a logical mind and a commitment to learn,” Laucher said. Other than that, attendees only need to have access to the internet so they can do training exercises between classes, she said.