As we prepare to say goodbye to another year it is the moments of optimism that have hinted a return to normalcy that we must take with us into 2022. And it is those all-important ‘wins’, especially in the education industry, that will help us to realise that, despite certain unprecedented circumstances, 2021 has been an incredibly successful year for children’s education services that continue to adapt, learn, and prevail regardless of what is thrown at them. Here, Justin Nihiser, CEO of kids coding franchise Code Ninjas, reflects on a successful year for the industry and explains why now is the perfect time to capitalise on a growing demand for their services.
It comes as a relief to everyone that yet another year of COVID underscoring our lives is coming to an end. But there has certainly been some progress made toward a return to normalcy. This has been most obviously reflected in the education industry, as kids are finally returning to some face-to-face contact in their education, and the demand for high-quality enriching extracurricular activities is at an all-time high. And despite the difficulties that were presented to all of us at the start of 2021, we are finishing a year of growth and expansion in the Code Ninjas network with more students reaping the benefits of our coding curriculum, and exciting plans for 2022.
For the first time since Code Ninjas launched on UK shores in 2020, we can now honestly say that kids up and down the country are able to benefit from the coding education offered in our centres. With our first location opening in Scotland in Edinburgh, and Newton Mearns, Glasgow, soon to follow, we continue to become available to an increasing number of children who want to develop their STEM skills through practical, fun and cooperative learning. And it does not stop there. More locations outside of London, including Hyde, Leicester, Oxford, Bridgend, Bournemouth and Northampton, are just a few of the many areas that will be offering kids these exciting opportunities going into 2022.
This industrious period for Code Ninjas simply reflects the developments our industry is currently seeing. Seeing a staggering 40% growth in two years, the UK tech industry now employs 2.93 million people1, so it comes as no surprise that there are more entrepreneurs and businesspeople around the UK coming on board to join the Code Ninjas family. The passion and interest they have in using coding to get kids thinking creatively when solving problems and trying new things is impressive.
But there is still work to be done! There are some key areas in the UK, including the Midlands and the Northeast, that Code Ninjas aims to cover in the future. So as the world’s largest and fastest-growing kids coding franchise, it’s impossible to ignore the need for our continued growth.
No matter the successes of a franchise, being a business owner in an industry such as this must be reflected upon as a lesson learned. Code Ninjas has had so much to be thankful for over the last 12 months, but it is what these successes have enabled us to look forward to that has defined how well we have navigated, adapted to, and overcome the difficulties of the pandemic. We hope in 12 months’ time we will be reflecting upon another successful year and one that has given us the chance to continue to welcome passionate entrepreneurs and businesspeople who contribute to improving the Code Ninjas brand and educational experience for our thousands of Ninjas around the world.
