Learn to code at free virtual event

Northumbria University is running a free online coding workshop, allowing people to gain new digital skills from the comfort of their own home.

The North East has one of the fastest growing digital and tech sectors and, due to the current skills gap, coding is rapidly becoming a skill in high demand by many industries and employers.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people may be considering their future career and how they can become more employable.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced government plans to transform the training and skills system, allowing people to upskill at any stage in their life and deal with the employment challenges created by the pandemic.

Following this announcement, Northumbria University is once again teaming up with IT training company QA Consulting, offering a free online workshop called ‘Teach the Nation to Code’.

Taking place from 9.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday 17 October 2020, attendees will experience a day of training from their homes, delivered by coding experts.

The event has been organised through the Institute of Coding (IoC), an organisation which brings together industry, government, higher education and outreach partners to create new courses and engage a diverse group of people into digital careers.

The objective is to collectively train individuals at degree level and above by providing the necessary education and skills they need to compete in a highly demanding workforce.

Dr Paul Vickers, Northumbria’s IoC project lead, said: “There has never been a greater need for entry level training to help people acquire new digital skills. Therefore, the Institute of Coding at Northumbria in partnership with QA is very pleased to offer a one-day online introduction to Python programming as part of its successful Teach the Nation to Code series."

Participants will learn the basics of Python, how to install Python and how to create Python applications.

They will also develop more advanced tasks in Python, including all the coding fundamentals, how to process and solve problems with Python code and much more.

The workshop will provide skills relevant to students from all areas of study and job roles, including researchers and analysts.

Previous engagement with sessions has been a huge success, inspiring learners of all ages and interests to explore a career in technology.

The event would act as a good refresher for those who want to stay up to date in their skills, as well as for those who would like to expand their knowledge of the libraries available in Python.

The workshop is also well suited to those with little to no knowledge of Python and does not require a background in computing.

To register for the event and for further details regarding the Teach the Nation to Code workshops, please visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/teach-the-nation-to-code-coding-workshop-tickets-121513886305.