IT education and training

My first computer: Making the leap into an IT career

The IT sector has always struggled to attract enough young talent from different backgrounds. We look at how people gained their first tech experience Continue Reading

When algorithms don’t play fair

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we report on the auditing of algorithms to countervail bias. We examine what CISOs can learn from Covid-19. And in our buyer’s guide to modern software development, we assess how competent artificial intelligence is at building applications that deliver the best possible customer experience. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Drop in number of students taking GCSE computing in 2020

The amount of students deciding to take GCSE computing in England drops despite an increase last year Continue Reading

First computers that led to a career in IT

The UK’s GCSE results show a strong pass rate in STEM subjects, which is good news for the IT industry. We find out how Computer Weekly readers got into IT Continue Reading

How to keep IT staff safe when they are needed on-site

One of the challenges for IT departments during the coronavirus pandemic is that staff sometimes need to come into the office, which poses health risks Continue Reading

TikTok in peril, A-level and Scottish Highers algo fiascos – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna discuss the fortunes of TikTok, the A-level results, and the algorithm controversies in which they and Scottish Highers have been mired Continue Reading

DBS Bank teams up with AWS on AI skills

Singapore’s DBS Bank is organising an AWS DeepRacer League to equip thousands of employees with skills in artificial intelligence and machine learning Continue Reading

ICO acknowledges GDPR concerns over A-level results scandal

Information Commissioner’s Office says it has engaged with exams regulator Ofqual after its use of an algorithm to calculate A-level grades backfired Continue Reading

Coronavirus: The pandemic’s impact on tech jobs, now and in the future

For some, the coronavirus pandemic has meant furloughs and job losses; for others, it has meant expansion and hiring. What impact has the outbreak had on technology recruitment, and will this carry on into the future? Continue Reading

A CIO’s journey through the Covid-19 crisis

FDM’s IT chief takes us through the challenges of responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and the future opportunities that the changes introduced now present Continue Reading

Computing students achieve high A-level grades despite coronavirus outbreak

Students taking computing at A-level have achieved higher grades than last year despite the uncertainty created by the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

Muslamic Makers launches careers discovery programme

Tech community Muslamic Makers has launched a programme to help Muslim talent develop skills and understand more about digital careers Continue Reading

Freezing digital history in the Arctic Circle

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out why GitHub is storing its historical open source code repositories on analogue film in the Arctic Circle. Our buyer’s guide examines modern software development practices. And we hear how virtual reality technology helped the UK build more ventilators to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Is the dial shifting for underrepresented groups in the UK’s tech sector?

George Floyd’s death and the resulting Black Lives Matter movement has raised awareness about the disparity in many areas of society, including the tech sector. Many firms claim to be headed for change, but will this change be sustained into the future? Continue Reading

How to acquire and keep your IT skills up to date

Little, often and varied study is the key to keeping your IT skills up to date in an industry that is constantly changing Continue Reading

Economic Affairs Committee calls for Universal Credit reform

Lords Select Committee finds the design of the Universal Credit system is ‘failing millions of people’, including a ‘significant minority’ who struggle with the digital service Continue Reading

Experts launch digital skills project for civil servants

International tech education experts from 10 institutions across the world have developed an online education programme for public servants Continue Reading

Diversity in cyber improving but inclusion needs work, says NCSC

Study into diversity and inclusion in the cyber security sector has found that diversity is off to a good start, but inclusion is lacking Continue Reading

Amazon to create 1,000 skilled tech roles in Ireland

Retail giant Amazon will be adding several skilled tech roles to its locations in Ireland over the next two years Continue Reading

Meet the CIO connecting IT in the most inhospitable environments

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we discuss the challenges of running global IT in the world of copper mining. We look at how tech suppliers are adapting their products to meet the lockdown demands of working from home. And we exam-ine how zero-trust methods can help secure container tech-nology. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Tech’s diversity gap: Slow growth for minority groups

Research by the BCS has shown a small percentage in growth of BAME and female individuals in the tech sector, revealing the long climb to diversity the industry still needs to tackle Continue Reading

Investment in neurodiverse talent a win-win for security

Current careers guidance and recruitment processes for security jobs are not working for people with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia, but the problem is fixable with a little attention to detail Continue Reading

What does and doesn’t work on video?

Hands up anyone who expected not just to spend 2020 at home, but to spend much of it on video too. Many of us will have shunned the Lidless Eye of the PC camera before but are now unable to resist ... Continue Reading

Huawei’s expulsion from the UK’s 5G networks explained – The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload Podcast

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna discuss the implications of the decision to shut Huawei out of UK telecoms, women in software development, new visa rules for IT workers post-Brexit, and the government’s elevation of data analytics Continue Reading

Lockdown sparks interest in digital skills for 58% of adults

Adults in the UK are becoming increasingly interested in digital skills, with over 80% saying they will become even more important over the next year Continue Reading

Tackling digital skills gap post-pandemic is key to UK economic recovery

We have all – as individuals and businesses – seen the importance of technology to get us through lockdown. Let’s build on that to address the digital skills shortage in the UK Continue Reading

Public sector not considering the elderly in development of digital services

A study by software firm Civica found public sector leaders have admitted to not targeting digital services at those over 70, despite many people this age claiming to use digital technology Continue Reading

Room for improvement in Dutch digital skills

The Netherlands has good telecommunications and IT networks that can be used safely and reliably, but there is room for improvement in digital skills among the Dutch Continue Reading

Overseas IT directors could need salary of £56,100 to work in the UK

The government has confirmed the salaries it considers as the ‘going rate’ for tech professions, which overseas applicants will need to earn to gain immigration points Continue Reading

Makers announces winners of the 2020 Women in Software Power List

Software training academy Makers has announced the 2020 winners of its annual list of notable women in software development Continue Reading

NCSC launches pen testing service for remote workers

An expansion to the successful Exercise in a Box toolkit will enable SMEs to probe the cyber security defences of remote workers Continue Reading

How can schools help the UK’s post-Covid recovery in the economy and employment?

Most of those leaving education at age 18 or 21 this year do not have the technical and practical skills they need to find work at this time of pandemic recession.  To redress this, Government must ... Continue Reading

Auditing for algorithmic discrimination

Despite the abundance of decision-making algorithms with social impacts, many companies are not conducting specific audits for bias and discrimination that can help mitigate their potentially negative consequences Continue Reading

Cyber4Summer scheme to divert young people from cyber crime

Cyber4Summer platform will offer 100 different tracks covering a range of security skills to divert them from falling into a life of cyber crime Continue Reading

Banks need to think like Google and not just follow it

Banks are recruiting senior thinkers from within the IT sector as digital transformations mature Continue Reading

Voting open for the Most Influential Woman in UK Technology 2020

Submit your vote to tell us who you think should be named the Most Influential Woman in UK Technology for 2020 Continue Reading

The privacy challenges of easing lockdown

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as pubs in the UK re-open after lockdown, we examine the privacy issues around collecting customer data for contact tracing. We look at how interconnected devices are revolutionising the manufacturing and engineering sectors. And we assess GDPR progress two years after its introduction. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

TLA launches resource hub for digital skills

Tech London Advocates launches an online hub to provide schools, students and parents with resources to build digital skills Continue Reading

Locked-down teens flock to NCSC CyberFirst training scheme

A record number of 14 to 17-year-olds have signed up to the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst summer school Continue Reading

Most Influential Women in UK Tech: The 2020 longlist

Each year, during its search for influential women in UK technology, Computer Weekly asks the tech industry to nominate who it thinks should be considered for the top 50 – here is the longlist for 2020 Continue Reading

UK’s unsung cyber security heroes sought

Nominations have opened for the fifth annual Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards Continue Reading

Equity in STEM education more important than ever, says Parliamentary group

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM suggests recommendations for increasing equity in education after stating coronavirus makes diversity increasingly important Continue Reading

Microsoft joins up LinkedIn and GitHub to support pandemic job seekers

Millions of people have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus, and Microsoft wants to help by providing free online resources and real-time data on hot skills Continue Reading

Fund provides routes into digital for under-represented groups in Manchester and Lancashire

£3m fund is being used to help businesses and residents gain digital skills Continue Reading

GCHQ launches Manchester accelerator programme to help firms leverage tech for citizen well-being

Innovation Co-Lab will mentor companies to grow, prevent crime and improve online safety Continue Reading

Standard Chartered embarks on virtual internship programme

Bank offers 300 candidates virtual placements on internship programme Continue Reading

CBI: UK needs an immigration and training rethink

For the UK to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, vast swathes of the population will need retraining – and overseas IT specialists will also be needed Continue Reading

Diversity in coding bootcamps

Coding bootcamp operators must actively engage with issues of access, diversity and inclusion if they want to stop reproducing the same gendered, racialised and class-based outcomes the tech sector keeps promising to address Continue Reading

IT services giant gives staff time out to volunteer for police clients

IT services company CGI responds to Met Police call by offering its staff the opportunity to take 11 days paid leave to volunteer their time Continue Reading

Making the most of coding bootcamps

Computer Weekly explores how aspiring developers can make the most of coding bootcamps, with a focus on how to avoid being duped by a programme that promises more than it can deliver Continue Reading

The lasting digital legacy of Covid-19 – The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload Podcast

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Clare McDonald, Caroline Donnelly and Brian McKenna discuss how the pandemic is shining a light on digital divides Continue Reading

BT searches for Young Pioneer as part of AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards

BT sponsors Young Pioneer Award category as part of the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards to hear from young people who want to improve lives by using tech Continue Reading

Younger employees find remote working more difficult

Research reveals a disparity between millennials and older generations when it comes to their acclimatisation to remote working, prompting call for firms to provide targeted tools and training for employees during this difficult period Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Parliamentary group asks how lockdown has affected digital skills

All Party Parliamentary Group on Digital Skills launches call to action to find out if lessons learnt in lockdown could help build digital skills policy in the future Continue Reading

Coronavirus: How to cope with the digital skills divide

Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, employers need tech and digital talent more than ever. But how can organisations recruit and train the skills they need during a lockdown? Continue Reading

Northern Ireland invests £1.7m in online learning

Package of online skills interventions aimed at people who have been affected by the coronavirus Continue Reading

Santander to recruit 3,000 more IT staff

Spanish bank to recruit a further 3,000 tech staff globally to accelerate its digital transformation Continue Reading

UN secretary general calls for global digital cooperation

Antonio Guterres launches roadmap for digital cooperation and calls for world leaders to come together to “connect, respect and protect people in the digital age” Continue Reading

Dowden: AI and data science conversion path open and diverse

DCMS says 2,500 places on university artificial intelligence and data science conversion courses – 1,000 targeted to produce more diversity in tech – are now open for application Continue Reading

CogX 2020: Rethinking technological innovation

Innovation processes and relationships must be fundamentally restructured to bring in more stakeholders, and spread the benefits of technological change as far as possible Continue Reading

Cyber security needs more women role models, says report

A report compiled by security assurance organisation Crest highlights the progress made on gender diversity in cyber security, and offers pointers for next steps Continue Reading

Debbie Forster, most influential woman in UK tech 2019 - winner’s speech

In this video of Computer Weekly’s annual diversity event Debbie Forster, CEO of the Tech Talent Charter, gives her acceptance speech as the 2019 Most Influential Woman in UK Tech Continue Reading

Infosec 2020: Covid-19 an opportunity to change security thinking

The annual Infosecurity Europe is being held virtually this year, and speakers at an online panel session have been considering the impact of the pandemic on security awareness Continue Reading

Reskilling those whose futures have been destroyed by the Covid lockdown

The Covid lockdown has demonstrated the potential of Educational Technology to support remote learning and workplace training but the focus on “free” access threatens to destroy the revenue streams ... Continue Reading

Egypt offers free tech scholarship to 100,000 citizens

Egypt's youths are being offered free training to help them to prepare for the careers of the future Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Government under renewed pressure to ramp up support for limited company directors

Chancellor of the Exchequer's announced extensions of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme prompt renewed calls for more tailored financial support for limited companies Continue Reading

The impact of spycraft on how we secure our data

The history of cyber security owes much to the world of espionage, as a recent, pre-lockdown Science Museum exhibition showed Continue Reading

Inside India: The world’s IT powerhouse

The Covid-19 pandemic is turning out to be a big fork in the road for many companies. But what about the industry that keeps the lights on for them? Continue Reading

Makers decides shortlist for Women in Software Powerlist 2020

Software engineering academy Makers has released the shortlist of candidates for its annual Women in Software Powerlist, from which the winners will be selected Continue Reading

One-third of all bank jobs are now tech-related

The proportion of jobs in banks that are technology-related is growing quickly, accelerated further by the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading

How effective security training goes deeper than ‘awareness’

Cyber criminals are constantly developing their techniques and strategies, so security training needs to do the same Continue Reading

Nominations open for Most Influential Women in UK Technology 2020

Computer Weekly is looking for nominations for its 2020 list of the most influential women in UK technology Continue Reading

Digital skills for the future, today

The education sector’s response to the coronavirus crisis demonstrates how digital systems and skills will be essential to the future of learning Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Caring for the IT security caretakers

Cyber criminals are enjoying a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic, and security teams are working overtime as a result. How can security professionals manage their increased workload, safeguard their mental well-being and avoid burnout? Continue Reading

NCSC tackles unconscious bias in security terminology

The terms whitelisting and blacklisting are out at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre Continue Reading

Coronavirus: How to cope with the digital skills divide

Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, employers need tech and digital talent more than ever. But how can organisations recruit and train the skills they need during a lockdown? Continue Reading

Cyber security skills courses go online during pandemic

The government is turning to online learning to find the next generation of cyber security talent Continue Reading

IBM celebrates quantum cloud fourth anniversary with coding challenge

IBM has set four tasks for programmers to try out on its cloud-based quantum computer, in a bid to widen quantum coding skills Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Remote working and mental health

As many of us are now working from home due to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, while also trying to juggle other responsibilities alongside increased anxiety, how can we make sure that we’re looking after our mental health? Continue Reading

Mainframe skills surge as lockdown drives transaction growth

Mainframe skills and Cobol programming are now in demand as enterprises scale up to tackle increased online activity due to the coronavirus Continue Reading

Coronavirus: Security certification body puts exams online

Candidates for certification by the International Association of Privacy Professionals will now be able to sit their exams remotely Continue Reading

Booking.com celebrates women in tech with annual awards

Booking.com has announced the winners of its 2020 Technology Playmaker Awards, an annual recognition of female talent launched in 2017 Continue Reading

Coronavirus: What does the ‘new normal’ mean for how we work?

Examining the long-term impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic on the world of work, security, privacy and networks Continue Reading

Coronavirus: STEM Women runs virtual graduate careers fairs for female STEM grads

Recruitment agency STEM Women is running weekly online careers fairs for female graduates to help them connect with potential employers while social distancing measures are in place Continue Reading

Netherlands schools harness Apple technology

Most Dutch schools use Windows computers, interactive whiteboards and Chromebooks, but there are a number of pioneers who choose Apple products Continue Reading

Is personal privacy more important than combatting Covid-19?

Concerns over personal privacy, of serious concern to the political activists who might be "picked off" by their opponents but not to the majority of the population, have come ahead of enthusiasm ... Continue Reading

When On-line Education and Training meet the Covid-19 Lockdown

The most comprehensive and authoritative source of information on changes to the availability of educational materials for those of school age is the corona virus page of the London Grid for Learning Continue Reading

Execs must advocate tech initiatives effectively

Senior management has a big role to play in making a success of digital and data transformation programmes Continue Reading

UK’s security sector failing on most diversity measures

A DCMS report on the state of the UK’s cyber security workforce highlights a huge lack of diversity and a substantial skills gap Continue Reading

Schoolgirl security experts prepare to do battle

The finals of the CyberFirst Girls contest will take place on 16 March as the culmination of the NCSC’s annual competition to unearth future security talent Continue Reading

Police IT system failure creates significant backlogs

Independent review of IT system failure that left Greater Manchester Police working with pen and paper finds combination of technical shortcomings, operational procedures and staff training responsible for massive backlogs Continue Reading

Winners announced for the 2020 FDM everywoman in Technology awards

Women’s network everywoman has announced the winners of the 2020 everywoman in Technology Awards, sponsored by FDM Continue Reading

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – episode 49

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna discuss IR35 through the prism of Eamonn Holmes, the tech community’s reaction to the points-based immigration system, and robotic process automation as beneficial to humans Continue Reading

Long, dark winters contribute to Finland’s advantage in video game development

Finland and Southern California are worlds apart at first glance, but both are leaders in video game development. We find out why. Continue Reading

Finland launches free AI skills course for EU citizens as presidency parting gift

Finland is making a course in basic artificial intelligence available to citizens of all European Union countries Continue Reading

Mastercard creates 1,500 tech jobs in Ireland

New roles at tech hub in Dublin will include professionals with expertise in artificial intelligence, cyber security, blockchain and user experience Continue Reading

Thai university to roll out data protection certification

Thailand’s National Institute of Development Administration is offering a certification programme to get organisations ready for the country’s data protection regime Continue Reading

Tech reaction to UK’s upcoming immigration rules

The government has outlined its plans for a new points-based immigration system to ensure only skilled workers can enter the UK – but what does the technology sector think? Continue Reading

How to build the perfect tech team despite talent shortages

The technology skills gap is growing worldwide, despite digital skills being as important as ever. So how can IT leaders develop the perfect tech team in the current talent environment? Continue Reading

Skymind has big plans for AI in ASEAN

Skymind Global Ventures’ $800m fund to tap artificial intelligence potential and talent includes focus on ASEAN’s AI ecosystem Continue Reading