It’s National Coding Week – the time of the year when volunteers come together to promote digital literacy, and encourage the nation to try their hand at coding.
In a world where two-year-olds learn to skip ads on their iPads long before they can hold a pencil ✏️, technology is far from daunting for younger generation. But the story isn’t the same for those who grew up with cassette tapes 📼 and floppy discs 💾.
Many parents, school governors and non-specialist teachers feel they have been left behind in the technology revolution. The reality hit closer to home when the pandemic added online classes and homeschooling to the mix.
Despite being experts in their own fields, many were totally out of their depth as they found themselves donning a teacher’s cap to give lessons on digital skills and computer science.
However, with initiatives like National Coding Week bringing out cool new learning platforms, opportunities have increased for anyone interested in learning – no matter how old or young they are.
Coding in everyday life
As Steve Jobs🍎 famously said, ‘Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer, because it teaches you how to think. ‘
From using the microwave, to adding groceries to your online shopping cart 🛒, many people don’t realise how coding works behind the scenes in everyday life. Learning to code helps you to get a better understanding of the modern world.
That’s not all. With the amount of uncertainty surrounding the economy and employment landscape, learning new skills can help broaden the avenues for everyone.
Addressing the skills shortage
STEM skill shortage is estimated to cost UK businesses nearly £1.5 billion a year in recruitment, temporary staffing, inflated salaries and additional training costs 🔬.
Recent statistics show the UK will need more than 75000 new digital jobs by 2020. This means British businesses will have to train more than a whopping 2.3 million people to meet the growing demand! 📈
Providing access to digital skills can give a big boost to this much-needed digital transformation. As tech expert Kevin Kline says, this Coding Week it’s crucial to highlight the need for more coders to enter the digital workspace, and encourage more people – whether students at school or adults👩🏽💻looking for a career change – to see the importance of coding and consider it their next big step.
How we’re helping...
Being an avid bunch of coders, we are keen to see the coding clan grow. Our Children’s Spy Agency (CSA) and the Agent Asha spy adventure series have been developed to introduce coding and online safety in a fun way to 7-11-year-olds, and to help parents and teachers support them in their journey.
If you are a parent or teacher, take a look at how we can help - but, please be aware - our exciting Children’s Spy Agency is strictly for little coders.