What can we do to get more women into coding?

By Mary-Ann Russon
Technology of Business reporter.

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How hard is it to learn to code in Python? I decided to find out.

There is a shortage of workers with digital skills in the UK.

According to a recent report by Harvey Nash, two-thirds of technology firms are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers.

Only 25% of technology teams are made up of women, and just 12% of top technology executives are women, according to a survey of 2,100 firms.

I decided to find out how easy it would be for a woman in her 30s to learn to code in Python.

Python is the first language taught to undergraduates on computer science courses and is a powerful, general purpose coding language.

It is used in business in many ways.

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How hard is it to learn coding?

If you want to learn to code, you need to pay for a class, teach yourself using online resources, or find a community willing to show you the ropes for free.

I used to teach myself languages to build websites back in the 2000s, so I thought I might have a head start here.

I assumed I could teach myself Python.

I started with children's computing toys because I wanted to make robots move so I could stay engaged and motivated.

I had no idea how to use the software that came with the toys.

Code Academy is a popular online platform that is free.

I found it intimidating. I was presented with a window that said "Type Hello World".

I attended the Teach the Nation to Code workshop to learn how to code.

The image is from the QA.

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Shafeeq Muhammad was a chemistry teacher in Pakistan.

The course was created by Shafeeq Muhammad, who credits learning to code with transforming his life.

The adult class888-607-3166888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-888-607-3166 was challenging - you had to really want to learn to code in order to stay engaged.

Mistakes in your code don't do anything. There is not much pay-off when it works.

I took classes to learn Scratch, a coding language for children with a simple visual interface. Scratch can be used to create things.

The children's classes were much more fun, with exciting goals like building a video game or an interactive pet, but there wasn't much theory.

The step change from learning Scratch to Python in the children's toys was similar to the step change from learning Python in the children's toys.

What can we do to bridge the gap between fun games for kids and more complex coding?

IT education needs to be better according to the founder of Creator Academy.

"We need to teach kids coding with visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles, and we need to adapt this learning method for adults, to attract more people to science, technology, engineering and mathematics."

The image is from Cypher Coders.

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Elizabeth Tweedale is a computer scientist and she says we need to make computing subjects more engaging to attract more girls and women to study.

Elizabeth Tweedale is the boss of the Cypher Coders. She believes that coding education needs to reflect the different learning styles of men and women.

She says that men and women follow different approaches to solving problems.

She says we need to change technology and coding environments to draw women in.

Cost is a big problem. Anna Brailsford is the chief executive of Code First: Girls, a social enterprise that teaches coding to girls, and she says that it costs £10,000 to learn coding, and often there isn't a clear link between what is taught and the jobs available.

She says that women are more likely to give up if there is a clear career path.

Women are given 13 weeks of intensive training and are given key skills useful in the job. Participants are placed in tech careers based on their strengths.

At Creator Academy, girls now make up 40% of Mr Law's classes, thanks to an initiative set up by New South Wales that gives parents a $100 a year stipend to spend on tech-related classes for their kids.

Hackathons with exciting prizes like money or internship with tech giants are suggested by Ms Tweedale.

The image is from Beverley Newing.

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Newing turned their life around by learning to code.

The way we teach science and technology needs to change according to a web developer at the Ministry of Justice.

Mx Newing wanted to study physics at the university but didn't get the grades.

They told the BBC that they struggled in the male-dominated maths classes.

I struggled to approach the teacher because I didn't fit in.

Mx Newing decided to learn to code after being broke and on benefits.

They had to learn quickly to keep an internship as they couldn't afford classes.

Mx Newing credits Codebar's support in providing a community as being instrumental to them being able to turn their life around.

"I'm not sure what would have happened if I didn't get that internship," they say.

"We need more paid internships in the industry so you can go and do it while still paying the bills."

Computing.
There is a robot
Lego.
Women are in technology.
Computer programming.