Students who want to learn coding [What Europe does for you]

With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting. In the latest in a series of posts on what Europe does for you, your family, your business and your wellbeing, we look at what Europe does for students who want to learn coding.

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Digital products, services and connected devices are playing an ever increasing role in our lives. The digitalisation of society is changing the way we communicate, work and shop, and means that we need to acquire new digital skills.

There are currently more than 350 000 vacancies in Europe for highly skilled technical experts in areas such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. If you are a student interested in technology and computers, you are bound to be aware of the importance of learning coding – the key skill necessary for creating new applications, websites and software for today’s new digital world.

The European Coding Initiative has brought together a wide range of companies, schools and organisations to promote coding in the education system in Europe. Already several countries have introduced coding classes in primary and secondary schools. Furthermore, every year Europe Code Week gives participants the opportunity to take part in coding classes in a fun way, and aims to involve at least half the schools in the EU. Perhaps your country is taking part…

In addition, thanks to the Digital Education Action and the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition promoted by the EU, many high tech companies are financing coding classes for students. The new Digital Opportunity traineeship initiative, meanwhile, will provide cross-border traineeships for up to 6 000 students and recent graduates between 2018 and 2020. Could this be something for you?

Further information

• EPRS briefing, Digital skills in the EU labour market, 2017
• European Commission: the European Coding Initiative
• European Commission: https://www.facebook.com/DigitalSkillsEU/