Jan Mertlik is increasing Newfoundland and Labrador’s technology talent pool one student at a time.

Get Coding’s web development workshops usually attract participants with a business background, and between ages 25 to 35. Before COVID-19, Mertlik chatted with a retired, older-than average-student. “She built her first website in two hours,” Mertlik says. “It was amazing.”

Born in the Czech Republic, Mertlik moved to China at age 16. He came to Canada in 2013 to study computer science at Memorial University and co-founded DashAll, an innovative food delivery system, two years later. The business delivered more than 2,000 meals before shutting down. “I realized having a cool idea is not enough to start a business,” Mertlik admits.

He launched Get Coding in 2017, to teach individuals the skills required to work in the province’s growing tech sector. “I realized there’s a gap in technical education,” Mertlik says. “I set out to create an organization that would allow more people to enter the tech talent pool.” It took just one training session to realize the timing wasn’t right.

Those real-life lesson proved invaluable. In 2019, Mertlik worked with a business partner to re-launch Get Coding. He also won Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship’s Fail Tale Cup, awarded to a student entrepreneur who learned from a business failure and started something new.

Get Coding training programs and web development workshops are based on industry demand. “Our coaching program is one of our most innovative,” Mertlik explains. “We get to know each student before creating a custom outline to help them reach their goals.”

Mertlik believes innovators build on lived experiences. “I want to understand what defines a place,” he says. “When starting a company, I do the technical work, but I also explore other aspects to gain an understanding of the different disciplines.” —By Connie Boland