Employers collaborating through the Tech Partnership welcome the announcement of the new Institute of Coding. Bringing together employers and universities across the nation, the Institute is poised to make a real difference to digital skills shortages with industry-focused programmes for both students and professionals throughout their careers.
Many employers are particularly focused on how the Institute will help to integrate business and technical skills. “This focus on aligning academia and real world industry skills is essential”, Brendan O’Rourke, Chief Information Officer of O2, one of the industry partners, comments. “The Institute of Coding can make a substantial difference to the UK’s digital skills gap by marrying technical and business skills. O2 is keen to support, not only with technical matters, but also with increasingly crucial business skills and insight into modern workplaces.”
The Institute will benefit from the support of many leading employers, including global companies which are defining the future of the digital world. As Steve Legg, UK University Programs Manager of IBM says: “IBM fully supports this collaborative effort to enhance employability in domains related to digital skills. It is vitally important to the UK to build a sustainable capacity to raise skill levels in key technology areas, for example AI, Cybersecurity and Data Analytics. IBM will be contributing time from skilled staff as well as some technology to assist in growing this essential capacity.”
Microsoft has also pledged its support with Ian Fordham, Director of Education, Microsoft explaining: “Microsoft is delighted to be a key partner in the new Institute of Coding. We are committed to a programme that brings together the best of academia & industry to empower the current and next generation of digital leaders and enable the UK to become a stronger digital-first economy. Our free Digital Skills programme is designed to help everyone in the UK by enabling them to develop the skills they need to be successful in the 4th Industrial revolution. Our contribution to the Institute draws on this comprehensive offering and our work with the Tech Partnership, educators, apprentices and those at every stage in their careers. We are excited to bring our expertise to the partnership which will drive forward innovation and the technologies & skills of tomorrow.”
Says Karen Price, CEO of the Tech Partnership “The opportunity to have a positive impact on digital skills on a national scale is the reason employers have collaborated through the Tech Partnership for the last two decades. It is also the reason that there has been such support from our employers for the Institute of Coding. This scale of collaboration between industry and academia is the way to make a real difference to student employability and the broader supply of digital skills across the nation”.
For further information, please see the government press release here.
