The young people in our classrooms today are beyond “digital native”. They live and breathe digital and - in particular - the internet, whether to socialise, find out what’s trending or learn something new. So why don’t more of them want to work in the digital world?
Every year, 11,000 job opportunities open up in Scotland’s digital technology sector, a figure set to grow in this fast-paced and buoyant industry. From the travel search engine Skyscanner to Rockstar North (of Grand Theft Auto fame), Scotland is home to some of the digital world’s greatest success stories.
The experience of younger generations differs greatly from the rest of us, even so-called millennials. Young people are growing up in a digital world that we could not have imagined at their age, where the variety of careers is vast. Roles that once seemed alien are becoming the norm; innovations such as virtual reality are no longer science fiction.
As career-influencers, we must understand the evolving digital landscape so that we can encourage young people, particularly girls, to work in it. We need to break down gender stereotypes and prove that computing is not just for boys or “geeks”.
This starts in the classroom. It’s crucial that all our teachers, not just computing science practitioners, understand digital and are engaged in it: their passion will impassion their pupils, encouraging the discovery of all things digital in the critical early stage of life.
A career in tech doesn’t necessarily have to mean hardcore coding. There is a broad spectrum of careers - spanning the latest computer games, groundbreaking robotics, digital marketing, copywriting and data analytics - which offers constant opportunities to blend creativity with tech.
Building digital products and designing online services requires great imagination; the people doing it are breaking new ground every day. Our young people are consumers of digital, but it’s important that we encourage them to be creators, too.
As the industry continues to grow, so do opportunities to learn. Groups like CoderDojo and Code Club give younger generations a chance to get to grips with coding in an engaging environment.
It’s essential that teachers and schools follow suit and create opportunities for our young people to unleash creativity and get inspired. I hope the recently launched Digital Xtra fund will provide even more opportunities for this.
The reality is that many of our pupils will work in tech. Those 11,000 jobs will only become more numerous - the industry is full of opportunity.
It makes sense both for our young people and for Scotland’s economy that we get these digital natives immersed in tech careers now, so that we can equip them for the digital world of the future.
Claire Gillespie is key sector manager for ICT and digital technologies at Skills Development Scotland
