A new generation of code breakers

29 Aug 2018

Government is considering introducing coding in South African schools.

At the recent Think Johannesburg Conference, communications deputy minister, Pinky Kekana revealed that the South African government is considering introducing coding at school level.

There is a need to assess how we future-proof children in a society that is constantly changing, Kekana noted at the conference, adding that the time to introduce basic coding into our education system has come.

Khethiwe Nkuna, head of corporate citizenship and inclusion and diversity lead for Accenture in Africa, notes that there is growing pressure on government to deliver more to citizens – but with increasingly limited resources. Nkuna emphasises the role that technological innovation can play in improving outcomes for all and is very optimistic about the key contributions Accenture can make – and has already made – in this arena.

Coding: the key to tomorrow

Today, young people need access to a whole new set of skills - those that will enable them to work and thrive in the digital age.

For example, Accenture South Africa has supported digital education initiatives and has witnessed the immense value these projects bring young people. Accenture’s participation in Hour of Code, a global educational movement exposing millions of students to a one-hour introduction to computer science and computer programming, has allowed Accenture employees worldwide to help make a difference.

Locally, the Coder Dojo youth initiative has meant Accenture SA employees have been able to transfer further critical digital skills to South Africa’s disadvantaged youth.

In today’s fast-moving world, digital skills are growing more and more critical, and technology is constantly reshaping the world of work. ‘These developments will transform the way we live,’ the World Economic Forum (WEF) noted in a 2016 report. ‘Some jobs will disappear, others will grow and jobs that don’t even exist today will become commonplace. What is certain is that the future workforce will need to align its skillset to keep pace.’

In 2016 for example, the World Economic Forum predicted that five years hence, over one-third of the skills (35%) considered important in the workforce would have changed. By 2020, by contrast, the WEF predicted that the 4th Industrial Revolution would bring us advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, advanced materials, biotechnology and genomics. Many of those predictions have already been realised, demonstrating the pace at which change is happening.

Keeping up with technology

The constantly evolving technological landscape means that young people will need flexible digital skills to be able to participate in the digital economy of tomorrow - along with the mindset enabling them to apply those skills in different, evolving ways.

In line with these sentiments, during the Think Johannesburg conference, deputy minister Kekana highlighted that we are, moreover, ‘moving into an economy that’s heavy on technology and light on labour,’ adding, ‘therefore, it is crucial that we consider smart interventions.’