A new event will see the S2 pupils of Uddingston Grammar School enjoy coding workshops, a tour of the Glasgow Barclays Campus and Eagle Lab, as well talks from local councillor Maureen Devlin and Technology Director at Barclays, Derek Shanks, as B in Tech seeks to encourage more young Scots to choose Computer Science and subsequent careers in tech.

There’s no shortage of discourse around the current skills crisis the Scottish tech sector is facing.

AND Digital’s The Nature of the Digital Skills Gap report – released a few months ago – revealed that 59% of workers in Edinburgh believe a lack of digital skills is having a negative impact on their organisation.

The report, which also looked at the UK-wide impact of this shortage, estimated that over half (61%) of business growth depends on digital outcomes. Based on the report’s estimations, this equates to £50bn at risk per year across the UK economy, and more than £240bn between now and 2026.

This new event – a partnership between Barclays, who were recently awarded the £12.09 million Digital Growth Grant, and STACS – seeks to address the skills crisis at a grass-roots level.

Shanks commented: “I’m really excited about this opportunity to inspire the next generation of technologists by hosting our B in Tech event with Uddingston Grammar S2 pupils at our world class Barclays Glasgow Campus.

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“With technology at the heart of everything we do in our daily lives, it’s critical for society that we have more young people learning how to code, by studying Computing at school.

“At such an important stage in their lives, as they are about to choose their subjects for S3 and S4, we’ll be inspiring the pupils to make that choice, through a number of practical activities throughout the day, and by showcasing what it’s like to work in Technology.”