Why It's Critical To Get Kids Coding

Nathan Baranowski, managing director at OJO Solutions, examines how coding can prepare young people for work in a fast-paced digital world

Today’s young people are growing up in a radically different world. They are more plugged in than ever, emulating the adults around them who work, relax and socialise online. Once they reach working age, this is unlikely to change. New technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality and cloud computing, will radically alter our workplaces, including the types of roles available and skills needed.

To equip the next generation to deal with these changes, there has been a big push on teaching coding within schools. At the start of this year, The Institute of Coding, supported by the UK government, announced £5m in funding for six universities to launch local digital skills initiatives. This in itself has proved controversial: OECD education chief Andreas Schleicher recently hit the headlines after saying teaching coding was a ‘waste of time’. So how do we react to this? Why is coding a valuable skill to learn and how can it be taught in a way that will give future workers an enviable competitive advantage?

RECOGNISING THE NEED

Just five years ago, coding was added to the national curriculum and is now taught to children from the age of five. For many, this is an important step. Half of all primary and secondary school parents surveyed by YouGov at this time agreed that coding should be taught to all children before they leave school. It also found that seven in 10 young adults felt let down by the lack of coding education they received in school, wishing they had been offered the same kind of opportunities.