We are very excited at Datacentreplus to be talking about National Coding Week. 2018 marks the fourth year of the volunteer-led organisation which aims to inspire and develop digital skills and knowledge for the future.
What is National Coding Week?
Introduced in 2014, National Coding Week was set up with the aim to help build people’s confidence and skills by encouraging volunteers to run fun and engaging digital events.
#NationalCodingWeek is expected to see more than 3,000 people take part in free events across the country from 18-24 September 2018.
The National Curriculum
Over the years technology has revolutionised and transformed our day-to-day lives, the way we work and study, as well as how we spend our time and leisure. It has also had an important part to play in education, with the development of the National Curriculum.
The National Curriculum in England (2018) focuses on the the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how pupils can put this knowledge to use through programming.
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects have also been giver greater prominence to over the last few years with the aim of improving the number of schools leavers with the qualifications and desire to go into STEM careers.
2017 also witnessed the introduction of the UK’s first creative coding platform aligned to the national computing curriculum, with the aim to help students develop their knowledge and skill-sets needed to address the current digital skills shortage in the the UK economy.
We play our part in this, having recently participated in the GO4SET/STEM challenge at Crompton House School in Oldham, an excellent initiative which can help to make an important contribution to the future of STEM through inspiring pupils to become involved at a key stage in their education.
Why do we need National Coding Week?
National Coding Week is important as it raises awareness amongst the UK population that coding is a crucial part to the development of our economy.
The Edge Foundation (2018) states that 76% of British firms right across the economy face a digital skills shortage in their workforce, which immediately identifies a big problem ahead for UK business owners and organisations.
For UK businesses to compete on a global scale, it is necessary to have a workforce which has all the necessary training requirements, qualifications as well as IT and digital skills. Businesses and education organisations should therefore encourage the development of these vital digital skills with education and incentives.
There are also an increasing number of businesses relying on computer code (outside of the technology sector) illustrating the importance of raising the profile of National Coding Week.
Datacentreplus Brand Ambassador, Chris Marsh commenting on National Coding Week says:
“Over the years I’ve seen many benefits from being involved with Code Clubs, giving children confidence in using computers and giving them an opportunity to express themselves creatively would be the main ones.
“If you look back over the past 10 years and see how technology has changed, we need to inspire the next generation of computer enthusiasts to make sure the next ten years of how we use innovative products is even better”.
Rajon Ali, Engineer at Datacentreplus says:
“Code powers our digital world and coding has become a basic literacy in the digital age. It is very likely to be the most important skill in the future, which is why it is so important that both the current and future workforce are provided with the right education to learn these skills”.
If you would like any more information on National Coding Week, the digital skills shortage in the UK or our work experience opportunities, please don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a call. We are always happy to help! – 0161 464 6101.
