Appian launches low-code education program in APAC

Includes LinkedIn badge, voucher for certification exam, access to hiring network.

Denise Broady (Appian)

Credit: Appian

Low-code automation platform Appian has launched a low-code education and certification program in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, aiming to issue at least 1,000 scholarships this year globally.

The program, named #lowcode4all, is focused on funding scholarships for certifications for people who have financial barriers to education. 

Speaking to sister publication ARN, Appian global chief marketing officer Denise Broady framed the program as the “democratising access”.

“Our goal is to not only give away the scholarships, but place individuals in jobs as part of that and change their socioeconomic outcome, as well as supporting them through the process,” she said.

“We’re with partners to make sure there is a placement path as well as customers, and just trying to create a program that would create more diversity.”

Contained within the program is a shareable badge for LinkedIn that indicates the user has been trained in low-code.

Following the badge, participants will receive a voucher for a certification exam. Then, once they reach Appian Certified Associate Developer status, participants will then be able to access the #lowcode4all Hiring Partner network.

The program was first launched in the US in April and is now being supported across the Asia Pacific region by key partners.

Not only does the program help tackle the ongoing labour shortage in the global tech community, but there is also an element that hits home for Broady. Citing her own personal background as a Vietnamese refugee in the US, she said her mother had an eighth-grade education who had made approximately $18,000 all her life due to labour work.

Meanwhile, Broady was the first of her family to attend college and took a COBOL class while attending, which landed her a programming job after she had finished with a starting salary of US$40,000.

“This was 25 years ago; at that time, the poverty level was $30,000 in the US, so to move my family from US$18,000 to US$40,000, is a socioeconomic change,” she added.

“When I looked at tech in general, it’s the opportunity also to bring diversity of not just gender, but background and people that may not have access.”