In the wake of computer coding education drawing some focus in Federal Parliament more than 800 high school students from around 30 Sydney schools gathered in UTS's Great Hall on Friday for Microsoft's #WeSpeakCode event.
Helped by an army of UTS student volunteers, participants were given a crash course in how they could write an app for their own mobile device, encouraging them to see the possibilities opened up in understanding this basic tool of technology.
Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull told the students that their future careers might not even exist yet, but they could count coding being a crucial element.
Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull welcomes the students. Picture by Terry Clinton
"Improving the technology skills of students is essential for Australia to remain competitive and prosperous in a globalised world," he said.
"We need to expose more students to coding so they are inspired to create, build and develop new technologies rather than just being passive users of it," he said.
The UTS event was part of a week-long campaign to give more than 7,000 students from all over Australia a taste of what coding is through school and community events, tutorials and online activities.
"Coding is the key to change," said Pip Marlow, Managing Director of Microsoft Australia.
"Through the use of code, computer programmers are working on amazing and innovative new ideas, using technology to improve the way we live, consume and interact with people from around the world."
UTS Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Glenn Wightwick said that as Australia's economy moved to new industries and jobs powered by the digital economy, it had never been more important to support and inspire digital skills among students.
"UTS is preparing our graduates for the workplaces of today and the future of tomorrow. With our increasingly digital world, IT skills and learning to code is essential," he said.
"We are pleased to partner in Microsoft's #WeSpeakCode initiative – teaching students these skills from an early age, will lead to brighter opportunities for the future."
Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication student Roslyn Coutinho was one of about 70 student volunteer facilitators in the Great Hall.
A participant in the UTS Hatchery pre-incubator program, Roslyn needs no convincing about the importance of coding in any profession where technology has become a primary tool.
"Understanding code is now an absolutely fundamental skill at school or university – it's the new literacy," she said.
"Designers have become creative planners and overseers and our ideas have to be communicated through technology.
"As a professional, if you don't have an understanding of all the processes you won't have the opportunity to take your idea through to the end."
#WeSpeakCode was held in partnership with The Smith Family, UTS, the Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN) and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, NSW.
- More than 800 high school students from around 30 Sydney schools gathered in UTS's Great Hall on Friday for Microsoft's #WeSpeakCode event
- The UTS event was part of a week-long campaign to give more than 7,000 students from all over Australia a taste of what coding is through school and community events, tutorials and online activities