Why should children be receiving all the attention of the tech industry to learn to code?
They are the employees of the future but how about the employees of the now? Would it be possible to interest adults in the world of coding and software? We think the answer to that is yes.
The Cornwall Tech Jam
Every month volunteers from the Cornwall software industry run a Saturday Jam (a jam as in music only with computers instead) for children to have a go at coding. It provides children the opportunity to come along, for free, and try their hand at coding. Potentially where they have no other chance to either at home or at school. The team have loads of experience and stacks of kit and examples for them to work on. The volunteers themselves are also active builders of tech both at work and at home. These sessions are aimed at children primarily though not exclusively. Adults do come along and have a go to. But maybe the environment for them is not quite right.
A Late Jam
The first Tech Jam Late was held at St Austell Brewery Visitor Centre. Programming with a pasty and a pint. And if you’re going to do something for adults why not at a brewery? And they are Late because they are later in the day and also for those later in life too. The Late Jam was run exactly along the same lines as the children’s version. Loads of computers were set up with a series of exercises to run through. And just like the normal version swapping around is encouraged to try something else that maybe caught the eye. It’s not a classroom. If the exercise is just not your thing feel free to try something else. Or if the exercise encourages you to go off on a tangent with the code, do it. See what happens.
Later Lates
Keep an eye on the Tech Cornwall Facebook page to see when we will be holding further Late Jams. Anyone can come along from the complete newbie to professional developer. They are a great social occasion and an ideal way to meet like minded individuals. And to make those connections that can start you on the way to that first step into the industry. It’s how some of us started so we know what we are talking about. Also check out the Gateway into Tech for further more formalised training if the urge to change careers is strong.
Hopefully we will see you at the next event soon.