We were delighted to welcome delegates to our ‘Digital Workforce’ event and extremely appreciative of our speakers taking the time to share their experiences with us. Below you will find copies (where available) of presentations delivered on the day.
You’re Hired
Steven Drost, CSO, CodeBase
CodeBase is the UK’s largest startup incubator, home to more than 90 of the country’s best technology companies. They champion businesses tackling big challenges with technology, and work tirelessly to support the development of a more diverse and competitive European digital industry.
Who better then, to advise on what those companies will be looking for in their future employees. Steven shares his views on what schools, colleges and universities should be doing to prepare their students for workplace of the future.
Presentation to follow.
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Craig Steele, Digital Learning Consultant
Scotland needs more people who are not just consumers of technology, but makers. Everyone, not just those looking for a career in technology, can benefit from learning to code.
How can we give every learner the chance to learn these digital skills? This is too important to be left to Science, Technology, and Computing classrooms alone. Craig will show ways to embed digital skills across all subjects, and challenge Colleges and Universities to tackle the digital divide together.
Digital Xtra – WCS Coding Clubs
Amanda Ford, Lecturer in Computing and David Renton, Curriculum and Quality Leader for Computing, West College Scotland
West College Scotland’s teaching staff are mentoring a team of STEM ambassadors, recruited from West College Scotland’s senior students, who are running coding clubs in Renfrewshire schools.
Pupils in S1 and S2 are benefiting from the opportunity to take part in extracurricular coding clubs in a project which aims to engage pupils in coding, increase their skills, build their interest in computing science and also influence subject choices for their studies in S3 and S4.
Presentation to follow.
Challenge-Led Learning for Data Age
Joshua Ryan-Saha, Data Science Skills Lead, The Data Lab
The potential of challenge-driven learning is most keenly felt in the area of data and computer science. Challenge-driven learning has been incorporated into The Data Lab MSc education programme for 90-funded data students at universities across Scotland.
To adequately train engineers, data scientists and other skills required to build Scotland’s future, perhaps now is the time to open a new challenge-led approach to learning in Scotland.
Can You Code It?
Kenji Lamb, Digital Advisor, College Development Network and Shakya Ganguly, Developer
Can You Code It? is a coding challenge platform containing a series of Python challenges mapped to SQA qualifications covering SCQF levels 4-6. An additional 10 challenges are being developed for a younger primary school audience using a block-based editor.
Digital and IT skills – Mind the Gap
Justin Black, Senior Manager, Digital Technology & Software Development, Hays Recruiting
Lots of impressive figures highlighted in the media around the number of tech skills posts which are waiting to be filled, but how much faith can you put in the hype? Dispelling myths …
Presentation to follow.
Mind the (Gender) Gap: Women in Tech
Laura Suárez, Frontend Developer, GetCommerceLaura Suarez is a Front-end developer and Web designer who works with GetCommerce, one of Scotland’s leading Magento eCommerce Development Agencies. Prior to that she worked as a Front-end developer for the charity Shelter Scotland, a start-up called Stipso and The Cocktail, one of the largest web consultancy agencies in Spain.
After more than 10 years’ experience in the Digital field, working in different countries such as Spain and the UK, she has a good understanding of the Digital world and the barriers that women face when considering a career in the field.
Laura is also one of the Talent Ambassadors for Talent Scotland. She promotes Scotland as an outstanding place to live and work focusing on the Spanish tech pool.
Presentation to follow.
Maker Movement
Dr Martin Goodfellow, Coder in Residence at Glasgow LifeIs the maker movement encouraging more people to get involved in software development and hardware hacking? The worldwide maker movement is growing economies and creating new jobs and businesses. Martin will discuss his experience working in Shenzhen, known as the “Silicon Valley of Hardware” or the “Hollywood of Makers”, and how we can support the maker movement within universities and colleges in Scotland.
Developing a Partnership Approach to Foundation Apprenticeship in Fife
Derek Brown, Head of Education, Fife CouncilA discussion of the opportunities presented by Foundation Apprenticeships to:
• reposition school college partnerships;
• improve the quality of learners’ experiences;
• enhance the potential of employers to participate;
• create improved articulation routes that are more business friendly.
