JT Smith

We feel it is our duty as YAPC::NA organizers to do everything we can to bring new people to Perl. After all, without fresh meat, Perl's future wouldn't be very bright.

This year we're doing a whole host of new things to recruit new talent into the Perl community. Collectively, we're calling these programs, Perl: The Next Generation. Here's what we're working on:

• Zero to Perl Workshop - Have little or no programming experience? No problem. Our two day workshop instructed by brian d foy will give you the skills you need to become a novice programmer.
• Future Friends of Perl - We're starting a new sponsorship program this year that allows you to donate $100 to provide a scholarship for new Perlers to attend YAPC.
• Beginners Track - We're going to have an entire track at YAPC devoted to teaching non-Perlers to use Perl for a variety of tasks.
• Job Fair - We're striving to build the biggest and most vibrant Job Fair in YAPC history. The main way we're doing this is by promoting outside YAPC and inviting people to come to it that don't necessarily attend YAPC.
• Workforce Development - We're working with a number of organizations in Madison to provide ongoing training and real-world work experience to people wanting to learn Perl. 

You can read more about all of these programs on our Perl: The Next Generation site.