Member Article

Opencast helps break the code for the future

A LEADING regional IT company is playing a pivotal role in increasing the number of primary school children attending code clubs.

Opencast Software, an independent IT company specialising in building and running systems clients rely on to deliver their core services, has established a host of code clubs and is organising a third Kids Digital Maker Party after the success of two similar events.

Dan Pudwell, a senior IT consultant at Opencast, is responsible for organising the parties, and has also set up code clubs at ten primary schools in the Derwentside area.

“Coding is the skill of the future, but is also fundamental to today’s working environment. Technology has changed massively over the past 20 years, but the pace of change is accelerating to the point that we can’t really predict what technology or what jobs we’ll need in ten years. What we do know, however, is that the ability to code will be a vital asset and a genuine need going forward.

“The coding clubs are very popular in the schools where we’ve introduced them, and the Kids Digital Maker Parties are another way to get young people interested – to hook them into IT and coding.”

The first party was held in Hoults Yard, where Opencast are based, last summer. The event attracted 20 children. The second event, organised with Tech for Life and supported by Newcastle University, Status Digital and Go Ahead Training, was hosted by Campus North in February, when more than 50 children attended.

The third Kids Digital Maker Party will be hosted once again at Hoults Yard’s Clayshed on Sunday, July 23 between 1pm and 4pm.

“It’s for young people aged between five and 15 and we’re hoping we might get up to 100 children there on the day,” said Dan.

“The free parties involve a whole host of digital and tech activities such as app making and robotics and young people can drop in anytime between 1pm and 4pm – all we ask is that children are accompanied by an adult.

“We’ll be working with Vex Robotics kits, programming and building them to follow a track. We also have an augmented reality game to program and we’re hoping to have some VR and drones. Other activities will include Makey Makey’s as well as programming projects with Scratch, the visual programming language and sessions working with the BBC’s micro:bit.”

Originally from Canada, Dan has worked with Opencast for two years having previously worked at Accenture. He established his first code club at his son’s primary school before going on to help create nine others.

“We now have about 200 kids coding at these clubs, and we’re hoping to add more primary schools. We’re also starting to talk to secondary schools as there is no provision for coding skills at secondary level – and there needs to be.”

Charlie Hoult, co-founder of Opencast and Chair of Dynamo, an industry-led initiative focused on growing the region’s tech sector, said capturing the interest and imaginations of children of primary age was of paramount importance to the region’s IT and digital sector.

“We know the sector will provide tens of thousands of jobs for the next generation, so it’s vital for the success of existing and future IT companies that young people have the right skills to fill these jobs. We need to start this process at primary level and Dan’s work with code clubs and the Kids Digital Maker Parties are a perfect introduction to the sector.

“Because they’re fun and hands-on, they spark the imaginations of young people, giving them the opportunity to think what might be possible with technology.”

Opencast was established in 2012 after co-founder and Managing Director Mike O’Brien left his job with a global digital business to set up the firm in the Kiln Building, Hoults Yard. Four years later, the IT services and business consultancy has grown to a team of 65 experienced software and IT professionals with a turnover of £5m. An expansion in the Opencast workforce led to a move to larger offices at Hoults Yard at the beginning of last year.

Mike added: “As a company we have always been interested in getting involved with improving technology skills in the region and hence encourage our staff to work on successful initiatives as Dan has. After all, this is about all of our futures and we can’t sit and moan about lack of skilled staff and do nothing about it.

“We believe that the skills issue needs to be addressed at multiple levels from schools to universities, apprentices to graduates and firms hiring people at the start of their careers to learn from more experienced heads.”

Opencast specialises in enterprise software services for global businesses and banks and has also picked up a raft of Government digitisation contracts, as well as work with north-east based technology innovation and research centre, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and a number of financial services organisations.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Hoults Yard .