Sunday 19 June 2011

Inspiring the next generation of developers

Jason Gorman has published a thought-provoking opinion piece asking why schools are doing so little to promote IT as an enticing career option and to equip kids to take advantage of it. His analysis points to a lack of suitably qualified teachers (so what's new?) and a commensurate lack of ambition on the part of exam boards to make the syllabus industry-relevant.

Do get in touch with Jason to take part in a summit at Bletchley Park (where else?) on 25th August 2011 to identify practical measures that can be taken to improve this dire situation.

I think this is an issue the BCS should be addressing with all dispatch instead of tying itself in knots over some elusive ideal of making all IT practitioners professionally qualified. Some of the most proficient software practitioners I know have no professional qualifications at all.