The University of Manchester will play a key role in the region’s digital future as part of the new Institute of Coding launched at the World Economic Forum 2018 in Davos, by Prime Minister, Theresa May

The Institute of Coding is a consortium of more than 60 universities, businesses and industry experts set to receive £20 million to tackle the UK’s digital skills gap. The government’s £20 million investment will be matched by a further £20 million from industry.

Speaking at Davos, the PM says the Institute will play a key part of the government’s efforts to drive up digital skills through the Industrial Strategy, equipping people of all ages with the skills they need in the sector.

The consortium is formed of businesses including IBM, Cisco, BT and Microsoft, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), 25 universities, including The University of Manchester, and professional bodies such as the British Computer Society and CREST. It will be led by the the University of Bath.

Universities Minister, Sam Gyimah, said: “A world-class pipeline of digital skills are essential to the UK’s ability to shape our future. By working together, universities, employers and industry leaders can help graduates build the right skills, in fields from cybersecurity to artificial intelligence to industrial design.

“The Institute of Coding will play a central role in this. Employers will have a tangible input to the curriculum, working hand-in-hand with universities to develop specialist skills in areas where they are needed most. As we have outlined in the Industrial Strategy, this is part of our ambition to embrace technological change and give us a more competitive edge in the future.”

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here