The most recent cohort of Operation Exit, a program that trains high-risk residents for new careers, graduated February 29 from an eight-week instructional program on computer coding. Resilient Coders, a local non-profit that teaches coding to young people from underserved communities, led the training.
An initiative of the OWD’s Youth Options Unlimited Boston program and the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety Initiatives, Operation Exit was established by Mayor Walsh in 2014 to help high-risk residents, including those with criminal backgrounds, gain knowledge and skills toward viable career pathways. Operation Exit had previously focused on the building trades with great success, placing 87 percent of its graduates – all formerly under- or un-employed members of low-income households – into jobs and apprenticeships paying at least $18 per hour, well above the city’s living wage.
Based on this success, Mayor Walsh in November announced the partnership with Resilient Coders, marking Operation Exit’s expansion into the technology industry. At the ceremony, Mayor Walsh talked to graduates about the importance of second chances. A video clip of the event can be seen here.