Jersey Coders launches after-school club for Teenagers

MEDIA RELEASE: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not Bailiwick Express, and the text is reproduced exactly as supplied to us

A new after-school club, Jersey Coders, is to launch for teenagers to tackle the lack of opportunity for technically minded students, and the need for a digitally skilled workforce in the Island. The club is to be sponsored by JT and is supported by Digital Jersey.

In recent years IT and in particular coding skills have not played a significant part in the school curriculum meaning many children have been leaving school without the basic skills. It’s led to a lack of opportunity for those children interested in IT in the Island. Whilst the Education Department are now moving to improve primary school coding skills, there is a large swathe of secondary pupils who have missed out.

Jersey Coders is aimed at Year 7+; it is open to all and is completely free of charge. It is a not-for-profit organisation that is aiming to invest in and inspire the Island’s young people to ensure Jersey has a strong IT future.

Gwyn Garfield-Bennett decided to set up the club after finding a lack of opportunity for her son and his friends: ‘What we would like to create is an atmosphere where technical creativity can be nurtured and where mentors can inspire our young people. I am forever hearing that companies cannot find the technically skilled workforce in Jersey to be able to base their digital businesses here. We are going to be left behind as Asia and Africa invest in their IT education. We live in an increasingly digitised world, those young people who show an aptitude and interest in computers and coding should be encouraged and challenged. We are grateful to JT, and Digital Jersey for the support they are giving to the club and hope to launch in the new year.’

JT is pleased to be the initial sponsor for Jersey Coders, Dave Newbold, Chief Operation and Technology Officer will be sitting on the working committee helping to take the club forward: ‘This initiative sits perfectly with what we are working to achieve, alongside other bodies such as Digital Jersey. Since we began work on our Gigabit Jersey programme in 2011, with the aim to future-proof our network and create a new digital infrastructure through our ultra-fast fibre-optic network, we have also worked hard to attract technology firms to the Island through our JT Lab. However, we need more skilled colleagues who can help build this sector of the economy for the island now and in the future. Through encouraging and improving and nurturing the skills of teenagers now, they will be in a much better position to make the most of the digital opportunities when they leave school in a few years time.’

Digital Jersey is also supporting Jersey Coders and will be letting the club use their new Digital Learning hub as a base for meetings. The club will initially launch with one night a week, and then it is hoped that this will increase. There will be an informal and relaxed structure to the sessions with some teaching, but primarily members will also be encouraged to work on their own projects with mentor help and expert guidance. It is also hoped the club will become a ‘digital hothouse’ for young talent to grow and develop their own ideas. During the year there will be competitions and prizes and it’s hoped a Hackathon will be arranged..

Teenagers interested in attending are invited to register their interest at www.jerseycoders.com

Jersey Coders is also asking people who work in the digital industry in the island to come forward and volunteer as mentors. Martin Kennelly, Head of IT at JT, and Andy Parkin, JT’s IT Design Manager have already offered to help. Volunteers won’t have to commit to weekly sessions if they have time constraints, but it’s hoped that a pool of mentors can be made available to the youngsters depending on what projects they are working on. Those interested in becoming mentors are asked to also register their interest at www.jerseycoders.com

All mentors will be required to have a CRB check which will be arranged by Jersey Coders.