Hack 4 Good helps connect people with jobs, creates online training portal

Software professionals and students from around the Ozarks are collaborating this weekend to create apps and web programs.

Competitors range from college students to software development professionals and mentors.

"This year Hack 4 Good adopted two different community projects: one for Isabel's house and another for the Missouri Job Center," said Hack 4 Good co-organizer Jason Klein.

Developers are dedicating their entire weekend to code for a cause. Teams working to help Isabel's House are creating a web-based program that will help the non-profit streamline their training process

"Every dollar they spend on IT is a dollar that's not going to snacks or gold fish or baby wipes that they need to you know actually help kids," said developer Daniel Green. "So it's really great that you know they can use this as an opportunity to get that tech."

Springfield's unemployment rate dropped one percent between August and September. Teams working on the Missouri Job Center project could help that number continue to fall.

"They're wanting to make it easier for local job seekers to find jobs near them," said Klein. "They're envisioning an app where you install the app, start the app, it asks for your current address or current location and then it shows you nearby jobs. It's as simple as that."

The hackathon weekend isn't just helping people join the workforce through the Missouri Job Center, it gives developers an opportunity to network and showcase important skills as well.

"A lot of the organizers are a lot of the same people you'll see around the developer community," said developer Ben Pomerenke. "A lot of us work in companies around here [and] a lot of us have job openings where we're looking for people."

Green said the competition helps build the resume of both professional developers and aspiring ones.

"You can just come together and collaborate which is ultimately the number one thing employers are looking for today," he said.

All 60 competitors were able to enter the hackathon weekend for free because other companies from around the Ozarks sponsored them.