Breaking new ground in business should always be a priority. Whether it is physical expansion, discovering something new about the industry, or keeping the delivery of your services fresh, there are always opportunities to stay ‘current’ by innovating. Code Ninjas, as well as continuing to break new ground in more areas around the UK, where the demand for its services is growing, see innovation as a key foundation to the success of the business model. Here, Justin Nihiser, CEO of the coding franchise for kids, discusses how the brand is breaking new ground in order to constantly adapt to the changing landscape of the technology industry.
As we appear to be re-entering uncertain territory, it is impossible to tell what the near future holds for the education and franchise industries. But, as we iterated two years ago, that does not mean things should stop. As education providers whose mission is focused on enriching children’s development through creative, fun opportunities, we should always be looking for ways to move forward – especially when considering the nature of the technology industry and how fast that alone evolves.
Throughout these last two years, the world has moved on from seeing STEM education stats like “by 2025, 3.5 million STEM jobs will go unfilled.”1 The pandemic has demonstrated to us that, as a global community, we not only benefit from technology, but need it as a form of escapism, to express ourselves, to learn and to evolve as a species. And the only way for us to move forward as educators and leaders in the industry is to continue to find new ways to inspire children through technology. This has meant that while STEM education remains implicit, simply giving children a fun, passion-driven learning space is continuing to become the most important element to the success of our international brand.
It’s this passion-driven space that often gets forgotten about in business. As with every business, the ultimate goal is to expand and become available in untouched territories where the demand is high. This can often lead to some unwanted side-effects, one of which is that the character, values and ethos of a business can become diluted. But as a brand who owes its success to the passionate people who believe in our mission, it remains imperative for us to evolve while holding onto what makes Code Ninjas… Code Ninjas!
By translating this in our services, we have been afforded the opportunity to physically break new ground. But as a niche, in-demand service provider, it is imperative to constantly revise and innovate with how we deliver our sessions. It has become increasingly clear that Code Ninjas does not just exist to help set our ninjas up with brighter opportunities for the future; it also nurtures their development and creativity as they seek to discover more about themselves in a world where many of them may not remember what life was like before the pandemic.
One of these key areas for development is in communication. We all use language. In every walk of life, an understanding of language and literacy in order to express, create, develop and grow is a vital tool. Coding, as well, is a language. And in their formative years, children are learning how to use language to learn more about themselves and discover their passions and personalities. But with a generation of children restricted in their ability to freely communicate in person as a result of lockdowns, restrictions and more, language and communication are not necessarily second nature to them.
Every Code Ninjas location around the world is encouraging kids to shape the future by utilising the media and technology that they have at their disposal. Using these incredible tools over the last decade and especially throughout the pandemic has shown us that it is counter-productive when you do not collaborate and encourage creative freedom, as without it, no new ground would ever be broken.
Through learning to code in a safe, inclusive and fun environment, Code Ninjas is growing by inspiring a new generation of innovators. Our brand is not only about academic learning but is also about team building and collaborating with peers to help one another and grow as a community as well as individuals.
1Rick Lazio and Harold Ford Jr, 2019, The U.S. Needs to Prepare Workers for STEM Jobs
