Elly Yates-Roberts |
Microsoft has welcomed the UK government’s decision, announced by the Chancellor in yesterday’s budget speech, to triple the number of fully qualified computer science teachers from 4,000 to 12,000.
In a blog post, Cindy Rose, UK CEO of Microsoft, said: "There is an urgent need for the UK to tackle its digital skills gap and use technology to nurture the creativity already embedded in the next generation.
"Teachers across the country need more support to deliver the plans laid out in the Budget. They need the skills to pass on to their students, the tools to enable them to engage young minds, the freedom to experiment in class and find the best way to engage youngsters, and the professional support to ensure they can get help if they need it."
A recent Royal Society report, co-funded by Microsoft, found that a significant increase in computing education funding is needed or the UK risks seeing an entire generation lacking the right technology skills.
Microsoft launched a digital skills programme in the UK in January 2017, within which it is training 30,000 public servants in a range of digital skills. The purpose of the programme is to enable public sector organisations to deliver more efficient services to citizens.
Find out more by reading Cindy Rose’s blog post.