The UK will face severe IT skills shortages unless new education
initiatives are set up and led by industry. That was the message
from BCS chief executive David Clarke following a competition which
encouraged potential interest in IT among young children, writes
John Kavanagh.
The national drawing competition, on the theme of "today's
engineers help us work and play", attracted more than 6,000 entries
from children aged five to seven.
The competition, sponsored by the BCS and 14 other engineering
professional bodies, aimed to foster closer links between
engineering disciplines and primary education. Children were asked
to depict how engineering and IT had made an impact on their lives
and contributed to both work and play. Teachers' notes sent with
details of the competition to every primary school in the country
underlined the creative and fun role that engineering and IT could
play in everyday lives.
Clarke warned that much of the enthusiasm for IT and engineering
shown by the response to the competition by these young children
would not be seen through to their later years.
"Our professional membership has long extolled the sustained
teaching of IT in schools in a manner that will attract children's
interest and kindle long-term enthusiasm for the subject," he
said.
"Today's children take IT for granted in their everyday lives, but
insufficient numbers are following it through as a subject to study
and achieve qualification. Girls in particular are not sufficiently
responding to encouragement to enter this exciting professional
field. This is disappointing, as nearly two thirds of the top 50
entrants for this competition were girls.
"This will present our country with severe IT skills shortages in
the near future unless a greater number of focused, industry-driven
initiatives in the education sector are undertaken."
Clarke pointed out that the BCS is taking steps to encourage women
in IT careers. "In a bid to attract and nurture female interest in
IT as a career, the BCS has established a women's IT group; it can
provide advice and guidance to girls considering this as a career
option, as well as supporting women who have already embarked on a
career in IT," he said.
The competition was won by Sangwoo Kim, who attends Hampton Junior
School in Middlesex. His entry illustrated a wide range of
engineering developments, including computers, trains, boats, roads
and sound systems. He received his prize, which included £1,000 for
technology equipment for his school, from TV presenter Kate
Bellingham at an award ceremony in London.
The second prize went to Cameron Howe of Warren Road Primary School
in Orpington, Kent, who got a Center Parcs family break, £75, and
£750 of technology equipment for his school. The third prize was
won by Jac Evans of Felinfach Primary School in Lampeter, who got
£50, a Tussaud's Group annual pass, and £500 towards equipment for
his school.