A new programme, the CodeClan Youth Academy, has been created to help teach computer skills to young people.

Established in partnership between Baillie Gifford and the national digital skills academy CodeClan, the eight-week programme will be based in Edinburgh

Aimed at young people aged 17 and over, the CodeClan Youth Academy will teach the programming skills required in an industry environment. With 10 spaces available in the first cohort, the programme starts on Monday the 4th of July.

The curriculum includes a four-week coding bootcamp at CodeClan, followed by a four-week paid internship at one of the academy’s industry partners.

According to CodeClan, students completing the course will be able to carry out tasks equivalent to the role of a junior front-end developer.

The bootcamp section at CodeClan will include training in HTML and CSS, presentation skills, JavaScript, NodeJS, and introductions to user experience (UX) and Angular.

This will be followed by what the partnership terms as “real-world experience of how a technology-driven business operates in a workplace setting”.

CEO of CodeClan Melinda Matthews-Clarkson said: “We have a broad tech landscape in Scotland, from agriculture to creative industries and space tech, but we don’t have enough people to meet the growing needs of our economy. It is time to rally the younger generation to build the skills we need to make our world a better place.

“This is the second programme we have launched this year aimed at young people, to provide them with the skills and confidence to move into tech jobs. It is a big focus for CodeClan, and if we don’t address the current skills shortage, we will have a big problem in the future.”

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Almost two-thirds of organisations in Scotland are struggling to find people with business-critical digital skills and there is a shortage of specialist entry-level talent.

Recent research also revealed that less than ten thousand pupils studied Computer Science at Scotland’s schools in 2021.

Chief of Information Systems Staff at Baillie Gifford Yvonne Robertson said: “We believe it’s crucial that we all play a part in developing our young workforce and addressing the current digital skills gap by providing insight into the range of career opportunities within the technology sector.

“As an industry and a business community, we can collectively share our vast experience and knowledge to help guide young people to positive outcomes beyond school, such as apprenticeships or further education in tech.

“Baillie Gifford is excited to support CodeClan’s new Youth Academy Programme in pursuit of these clear aims.”

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