New York-based Andela and Codementor, an alumnus of Techstars and Y Combinator, announced Tuesday they have formed a partnership to train aspiring coders in Africa.
Andela, which finds software developer prospects across Africa, will train and help place the entry-level coders at jobs with U.S. companies. Once placed, Codementor, a Mountain View, CA-based marketplace for one-on-one programming help, will provide continuing mentoring for the trainees’ first three months of work.
Weiting Liu, CEO and founder of Codementor, says via e-mail the idea for the partnership sprang from time spent working with mentors and peers in the Y Combinator, 500 Startups, and Techstars accelerators. “There is tremendous talent across the African continent, and what this untapped workforce has lacked is a combination of access and experience with tech,” Liu says.