</National Coding Week 2019 – Coding for Everyone>
The Institute of Coding (IoC) is celebrating National Coding Week, a volunteer-led event founded in 2014 which aims to help build people’s confidence and skills through fun and engaging digital events. This year, we want to show that coding is for everyone, and it’s easier than you think to get started.
Imagine a coder – what do you see? Someone in a darkened room, hunched over a laptop showing indecipherable lines of green text? The reality is a lot more interesting and accessible, even if you don’t have a computer science background.
How can the IoC help you?
Our partners include well-known employers like BT, Cisco and Amazon Web Services, and their employees use coding skills every day. From our work with our network of more than 100 employers, we know that that coding and other digital skills are in high demand, particularly because they can be applied in many different fields. Created with input from employers, our digital skills courses give you the skills that you need to be ready for work.
Getting involved
If you want to improve your digital skills, the new IoC course catalogue is a great place to explore your options. You’ll find an array of IoC-supported courses at different levels and price points, so coding is accessible to you regardless of your experience or budget.
For example, UAL’s BSc in Creative Computing combines tech and creativity by showing how you can apply computer skills in a creative industry, while Newcastle’s Demystifying Programming CPD explores the coding patterns present in nature, textiles and geometric art. Coding can seem daunting, but understanding the ways it can be applied in everyday life and beyond makes it easier to start your digital skills journey.
If you are looking for something shorter, our partner events like Queen Mary’s Getting Started with Coding bootcamp are a perfect example of how you can start to learn to code. Aimed at people studying humanities, social sciences and medicine, the bootcamp teaches students the basics of programming and how they can apply coding knowledge in their own subjects.
From learner to employed coder
One of our recent learners, Rafael’s story shows how you can begin this journey with an IoC course. At a University of Sunderland digital bootcamp, Rafael learnt how to apply his computer science degree knowledge outside of university, and discovered first-hand how coding and other digital skills could be used in the workplace. He credits this bootcamp with his successful application to become a junior DevOps engineer at DXC Technology. Read the full story here.
More information
If you’ve been inspired by this blog, visit the National Coding Week website to find out how you can get involved. Information packs on how to run coding events are available for businesses, schools and individuals, or you can join the conversation about coding via their Twitter page. #nationalcodingweek
To find out more about the IoC’s work, follow our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, and sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on our work.