Bank of Ireland has partnered with CoderDojo to line up more than 50 different dojos around the country by next summer, with many underway already.
Utilising Bank of Ireland’s nationwide branches, CoderDojo’s partnership has already created active dojos in the likes of Grand Canal Quay, Loughboy and Moate, in Dublin, Kilkenny and Westmeath respectively.
With a stark digital skills gap in Ireland, and an education curriculum lacking in any coding priorities, it’s organisations like CoderDojo – and partnerships with Bank of Ireland – that can help alleviate the future strain on the labour pool.
“Coding is a new literacy and every child should have the opportunity to develop these 21st-century skills, which are of crucial importance to succeed in an increasingly connected world,” said CoderDojo’s Mary Moloney.
“Europe is expected to face a shortfall of up to 900,000 ICT jobs by 2020. The CoderDojo and Bank of Ireland partnership is crucial for us in meeting a real Irish need by providing clubs at which young people can learn how to create with technology in a fun, high energy, social environment.”
The latest Morgan McKinley report showed that financial services, professional services and life sciences have helped to boost the number of available jobs by 10pc.
However, just below that surge is the consistent growth of IT positions, with coding skills and big data continually in demand in the Irish market.
“This is a national community initiative and we are delighted to have partnered with CoderDojo in encouraging as many young people as possible to discover their potential,” said Bank of Ireland’s Laura Lynch.
Once a consistent wave of youngsters are absorbing coding as a natural education tool, that “potential” should rise significantly.
