Teenagers must learn computer coding to secure jobs in our digital future

Skill will soon become essential for all future employment opportunities, writes Marc Dinardo

It’s exciting to imagine the future of Scotland in 2030 as a hub of smart cities powered using green technology and driverless public transport.

Perhaps more than 50 per cent of our current jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence and new mobile technologies.

We will be living in a world where each and every one of us is so immersed in technology that we have access to anything we want at the push of a button.

Our society now is a small glimpse at the future when there will be no cashiers, no bus drivers, no phone operators, no surgeons, no bartenders, or postmen as everything will be automatic.

Not knowing how to code would be a huge handicap. Coding is an educational must. The future of today’s teenagers is most definitely digital.

The tech sector in Scotland is thriving with new opportunities being presented every day – Scottish tech startups and global companies are crying out for young talent to help them find solutions to tomorrow’s biggest problems. Scotland is fast becoming a global leader in the field of digital technology, home to some of the most innovative tech companies in the world. Billion dollar businesses like Skyscanner and Fanduel are based right here in Scotland.

With 12,800 new jobs predicted each year until 2024 there’s never been a better time to start a career in digital technologies.

The digital skills gap is continuing to grow in Scotland and with up to 60 per cent of future jobs in 2025 predicted to not even have been created yet, there is an incredibly exciting opportunity for you to consider a career in technology. To prepare teenagers for their first role in digital, Skills Development Scotland has launched a series of Modern Apprenticeship programmes in digital marketing, telecommunications and information security.

At Active Coding Academies, we are piloting a residential coding programme and small group tuition to give teenagers an opportunity to explore the digital world and create their own team software projects.

We aim to educate the next generation of coders on the necessity of computer programming. Marc Dinardo is managing director of Active Coding Academies

0 Coding will become essential