Schools team up with high tech firms
Young‘key’to digital hub
Stirling area’s seven high schools are collaborating with three digital businesses in a bid to boost pupils’ computer skills.
The partnership, which also involves representatives of Stirling University and Forth Valley College, will improve opportunities for Stirling’s young people in the fast growing world of digital innovation and technology.
From January, pupils will have the opportunity to learn from the expertise of Stirling area businesses Dogfish, Sales Agility and Dovetail Games, and keep up to speed with the fast moving digital and computer programming business sector.
An industry-led digital education steering group is also being established with the aim of building Stirling’s workforce into the most digitally skilled in Scotland.
It will also consider possible changes to Stirling’s schools’ programmes and introduce a wide range of additional extra-curricular programmes.
Part of the council’s ambitious half billion pound City Deal bid includes plans to convert the new and historic parts of the Municipal Buildings, in Stirling, into a digital hub – a location for small computer and high-tech companies.
Alan Hamilton, head of business and technologies at Stirling High School, said: “This is a very exciting time for the young people in Stirling area. With 11,000 new jobs predicted every year in the digital sector across Scotland, it is vital that we deliver for our young people.”
He described as exciting the new partnerships with local businesses and increased provision in high schools and primaries for computer programming tuition.
“We are really looking forward to engaging with the digital hub and the opportunities this will afford us,” he added.
Convener of the council’s finance and economy committee Neil Benny said: “Stirling is an area with genuine opportunity for rapid growth in digital innovation and technology. The partnership with schools will mean that Stirling’s pupils are well placed to learn the skills that can keep Stirling at the forefront of digital enterprise. That is good news for them and good news for the Stirling economy.”
Key objectives of the steering group are to tackle digital inequality, equip Stirling’s workforce with the skills needed to support local industry now and in the future and to deliver new pathways to employment which give all of Stirling’s residents an opportunity to find positive employment in and around the digital technology sector.
As part of the ongoing activity, a workshop was held recently at Stirling University Innovation Park with representation from Forth Valley College, University of Stirling, Stirling Council, and a number of digital businesses in Stirling including Prudential, Dovetail Games, Sales Agility and Dogfish Mobile.