Research reveals that 150 million new technology jobs will be created in the next five years, yet nearly 40 per cent of the UK’s working population lack digital skills1. Here, Justin Nihiser, CEO of Code Ninjas, determines that the road to filling the growing skills gap in the industry does not come from applying pressure on our kids. Instead, Justin believes in creating a fun, engaging and safe environment where children are free to build a lifelong love for technology and coding without the pressures of its potential as a future career path. It is this commitment that ensures the Code Ninjas franchise investment opportunity continues to appeal to prospects that, like Justin, have a passion for inspiring the next generation.
September marks National Coding Week, an initiative started to inspire children and adults alike to improve their digital literacy in order to fill the growing skills gap. An analysis from the Office for National Statistics reveals that the number of computer programmers in the UK has increased by 51% over the past decade1; however, the demand for coders is far outstripping the available talent within the job market. Subsequently, the need for trusted and well-established coding education services for children has also seen a huge increase, especially since the pandemic, when parents saw first-hand how screen time can provide a fulfilling and contemporary education for their children.
As parents have become more open-minded to the advantages of digital technology and the value of screen time and coding, Code Ninjas has seen hundreds of parents sign up to our sessions throughout the country to see the benefits for themselves. The proud parents of our Ninjas have witnessed how our franchisees across the country allow children to enjoy learning a new skill without any pressure to impress or expectations on what that skill may lead to. In a similar vein to a professional dancer who grew up taking dance lessons from a young age, coders exposed to a positive digital education in early life are more likely to explore that avenue when the time comes to find a career. Ultimately, we want kids to be kids and allow the potential for a career in coding to follow.
Through my experience as CEO of Code Ninjas, I believe we see the best results from our Ninjas when they are achieved in an atmosphere that is safe, relaxed and, most importantly, fun. Our Ninjas attend because they enjoy learning about coding, and their parents continue to take them because they see their children gain confidence, logic, resourcefulness, and problem-solving skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
As Code Ninjas drives kids into locations across the country, it opens up many exciting possibilities for prospective franchisees who want to take advantage of the demand for kids coding around the UK and share the same ambition for energising the next generation of coders. Investing in a coding franchise opportunity is more lucrative than ever in a world where the expansion of the technology industry and the need to fill the skills gap show no signs of slowing down.
I truly believe that our fun and engaging curriculum is the answer to the demand we are currently seeing in tech and is vital to the ongoing growth and evolution of the coding industry. The demand for kids coding isn’t going anywhere, thanks to the lifelong love of technology that Code Ninjas teaches and that serves them for the rest of their lives. In an increasingly demanding world for kids, we don’t want to force a future career in coding on them, but instead offer them the tools and opportunities to decide their own destiny.
1 PLMR, 2021: National Coding Week: The UK Must Address Its Digital Technology Talent Shortage
