Computing for a New Generation Conference in Salford
Alice Webb
Chief Operating Officer, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ England
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In only a few short months, students up and down the country will be embarking on the new computing curriculum with the start of the new school year. So I'm delighted today that in partnership with Google, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is hosting a conference - "Computing for a New Generation" - at our flagship digital centre in Salford.
The conference will be attended by over 200 local teachers from the North West who will be at the forefront of educating children in coding and all things digital. This one day conference will give teachers an important insight into computer science: offering them a chance to hear from industry experts, learn about support organisations and get hands-on with new digital kit from a wide range of coding and digital partners who are also taking part in the conference. Partners like CoderDojo, Raspberry Pi, Code Club and Teen Tech to name but a few.
But it's not just about providing insight and education. "Computing for a New Generation" is about inspiration too. Inspiration for teachers, and therefore children alike. In October 2013 the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Director-General, Tony Hall, set out his strategy for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ in a entitled Where Next? This included plans for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ to inspire the next generation to get creative with digital technology and computer coding. As is well known, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's mission is to inform, educate and entertain – hopefully just three of the things happening at today’s conference, in addition to our sixth public purpose that being to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications, technologies and services.
In this way today's conference is at the core of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and something we feel passionately about. We all know that children are embracing new technologies with a vengeance, and teaching them to code can unlock an even greater world of digital potential for them – a lifetime of fun and creativity. And importantly, as an employer of over 500 software engineers at our Salford base, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is always on the look out for the next generation of digital talent to build on the things we’ve already started from our northern hub. Whether that’s taking the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s iPlayer to the next level, or ensuring you can watch whatever you want, wherever you want it – just as we’ve done with the live platform – there is a world of possibilities and we are proud to be working with Google and our partners today to help unlock that potential with "Computing for a New Generation".
I look forward to seeing the fruits of all our labours, and particularly from the dedicated teachers who will be teaching the new curriculum from September. It feels like the start of an exciting new chapter.
Alice Webb is Chief Operating Officer, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ England