Tech talent in Cincinnati is in high demand but in short supply in some areas. And as the local tech startup economy grows, so does the need for cutting-edge developer talent.
One local mobile and web app development company is leading an effort to develop talent in its corner of the tech world. Blue Ash-based
Gaslight is teaming up with Cincinnati-area industry and entrepreneurial leaders to start a training program for app developers using the
Ruby on Rails platform.
Gaslight specializes in developing apps through Ruby on Rails. The growing company, which has more than a dozen developers, creates apps and other software applications for growing startups and established brands.
Gaslight co-founder and Ruby developer Bill Barnett says the idea is a practical one. Ruby has become a popular app development platform, and it's become harder for Ruby developers, including Gaslight, to keep up with client demand.
"There is a need for Ruby on Rails support that the market is not meeting at the moment," he says.
The training program is aimed at bringing new developers into the field, and would last about six months. This type of web development school is emerging in several cities across the United States—
gSchool in Denver is one of the best known. GSchool is a model for Cincinnati to follow, Barnett says.
"We want to create an avenue for people who want to get into software development, and maybe come from other disciplines," Barnett says. "They might be a recent college graduate who has a degree in medicine or law but has an entrepreneurial inkling. They could be returning from overseas, transitioning from a military career."
Gaslight is still in the planning stages, but it has a record of leadership in the Cincinnati web community, and has hosted several developer Meetups and is the lead organizer of the
Queen City Merge conference. Gaslight is working with a number of interested groups to get it off the ground, including
Neo,
Girl Develop It and
The Brandery.
No firm date has been set for the training program's launch, but a goal is to start a group of 20-25 students by late this year or early next.
Find out more about Gaslight and what it has to offer at
Web School Cincinnati.
By Feoshia H. Davis