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The first ever National Coding Week for Adults launches this September in a bid to tackle the growing digital skills shortage in the Channel Islands and UK. From 21-28 September 2014 people within the digital industry are being urged to share their expertise with adults in their communities by organising events and training sessions.
National Coding Week is set to become an annual event and aims to get as many adults as possible to learn the basics of coding. It is supported by leading industry organisations including Codecademy , Decoded , FiretechCamp , Women who Code (UK) and the EU Young Advisors group (UK).
The digital industry is fast becoming the most employable sector in Britain yet it faces a skills gap when it comes to the appropriate expertise. It has been estimated that in the next two years an additional 745,000 workers with digital skills will be required, but the EU also estimates that by 2020 there will be up to 1.3million jobs unfilled due to the lack of relevant skills.
National Coding Week is sponsored by JT and is the brainchild of Richard Rolfe and Jordan Love of Codex DLD , a tech business that helps adults to make the most of digital opportunities, including training of the unemployed. Many of their delegates graduate from no coding experience to being in fully paid employment within the industry.
Richard Rolfe of Codex DLD: “The UK Government has made computer coding compulsory in schools from September 2014 which is great for future generations but does not tackle the skills shortage that exists today. National Coding Week is all about empowering adults to take advantage of digital opportunities. We’d encourage everyone to take part, if I can learn to code aged 51 then, anyone can!"
The key aims of National Coding Week are to:
1) encourage adults of any age to learn an element of computer coding
2) encourage digital experts to share their skills
3) collaborate, share, learn and have fun!
Graeme Miller, Chief Executive of sponsors, JT Group said: ‘As a telecoms company at the forefront of the digital revolution, it is critical for our business that we are able to employ skilled staff. We are supporting Coding Week to raise awareness of the opportunities in this dynamic sector. This is about letting people know that Coding can be for everyone and that there are employers like us who are keen to support and encourage digital learning and new entrants into this exciting industry.’
Various events will be held in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, as well as in major UK cities such as London, Bristol, Brighton, Manchester and Belfast. Richard and Jordan are calling on Governments and the tech community to back the campaign and show their support via #NationalCodingWeek. People can visit www.nationalcodingweek.com for help with organising their own events and for more information on the week.
Events will fall under various categories including: Reverse Mentoring, Online Training, Face to Face Training, and Sharing Expertise / Skills. It is hoped that the range of ways to engage with the event will allow everyone, no matter how immobile or remotely based, to get involved and improve their understanding of code.
Rachael Swidebank, head of UK operations for Codecademy added: “National Coding Week is a great opportunity for adults to try platforms like Codecademy to experience how accessible and valuable learning digital skills can be, encouraging evolution and education regardless of age or career stage. We look forward to seeing the broader digital community come together in support.”
