Case Study: LaunchCode evaluates 600 tech apprentices per month with HackerRank

How LaunchCode Evaluates 600 Tech Apprentices Per Month

LaunchCode is a nonprofit creating non‑traditional pathways into tech — helping people like LaShana Lewis move from no-CS-degree backgrounds into tech apprenticeships and jobs. As the model for the White House TechHire Initiative, LaunchCode evaluates over 600 applicants each month, but its growth was bottlenecked by slow, subjective, labor‑intensive skills assessments (whiteboard interviews and expert reviews).

To scale fairly and quickly, LaunchCode integrated HackerRank into a multi‑part evaluation system, using prebuilt coding challenges and automated scoring to standardize screening. The platform sped up assessment of hundreds of applicants, reduced reliance on in‑house developers for grading, and helped maintain quality outcomes — over 90% of LaunchCoders convert to full‑time roles after the 12‑week apprenticeship — supporting LaunchCode’s continued national expansion.

LaunchCode

Alex Miller

Vice President of Programs