Sharpening Skills Whitney Curtis Square co-founder jim mckelvey, who started launchcode to help open new opportunities in the tech field. Christopher Smith was ready for a better-paying job in the trades. Thomas Sanders was ready for a job in information technology. Neither had a four-year college degreeâyet both were able to achieve their goals, in part thanks to local workforce development programs. Sanders had attended college but dropped out. He was working in a fast food restaurant when a friend told him about NPower Missouri, which provides free technology training and development to veterans and job-seekers from underserved communities.