There was a time when Phoenix’s downtown Warehouse District served as the foundation for the agriculture industry. Today, it is serving as the foundation for the city’s exploding technology sector.

Mayor Greg Stanton announced Wednesday that Galvanize, a market leader in delivering technology education programs, will expand to Phoenix in partnership with the city of Phoenix and Allstate Insurance Company. Planned to open in late 2016, the Phoenix campus will offer agile software development training.

“We are honored by the opportunity to partner with Mayor Stanton, the city of Phoenix, the IDA and Allstate, to address the technology talent gap and high industry demand for technical skills,” said Jim Deters, Galvanize CEO. “This is a major step toward empowering the next generation of technology workers in the Phoenix metro area to make an impact in 2016 and beyond.”

This new initiative between Galvanize, the city of Phoenix, and Allstate will help build local expertise in software development and data science and help meet the growing demand for technical workers. Agile methodology is an alternative to traditional project management, typically used in software development, allowing software development teams get to an end product much faster.

“Galvanize will help create a well-educated, trained and ready workforce, essential to attracting high technology companies to our region,” said Juan Salgado, executive director of the Phoenix IDA. “The Phoenix IDA is proud to be part of the collaboration that attracted Galvanize, helping ensure high-quality jobs for our community.

Once the campus opens, Allstate is committed to sponsoring 100 – 150 students and hiring eligible graduates from the Galvanize 24-week “Full Stack” extreme agile development program.

“We are pleased to continue working with Galvanize to advance the technology acumen of current and prospective employees,” said Andy Zitney, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Allstate Technology & Strategic Ventures. “This will allow us to leverage new and innovative technology offerings to connect with our customers and grow our existing presence in Phoenix.”

“Greater Phoenix is seeing a lot of interest from the tech industry, which is creating quite the buzz nationally for the market. Having locally grown tech companies such as WebPT elevates the market’s notoriety across the U.S. We could not be more excited to see Galvanize expand to the Warehouse District,” said Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “Job growth in the software industry in Greater Phoenix is outpacing the national average, and we are going to continue to seeing that growth as more and more companies consider the market for expansion.”

“Phoenix’s success in today’s technology and innovation marketplace relies on attracting, developing and retaining top talent,” said Vice Mayor Daniel Valenzuela, chair of the City Council’s Downtown, Aviation and Redevelopment Subcommittee. “Galvanize helps to solidify phoenix as the destination of choice for technology innovators, entrepreneurs and start-ups.”

“Phoenix’s historic Warehouse District is an ideal location for a tech company such as Galvanize seeking vibrancy in an urban core,” said Councilwoman Kate Gallego. “Redevelopment in the Warehouse District is a win for our city as it preserves our legacy while strengthening our future.”

Galvanize’s Phoenix Campus is anticipated to open in September 2016 in the Warehouse District at 515 E. Grant Street. The new campus will build on the revitalization of this vibrant, community-focused neighborhood as rapid development continues in the area.

For more information about applying for a course or membership at the Galvanize Phoenix campus, visit http://Galvanize.com/Phoenix