New coding video puts digital skills gap in focus

A simple introduction to HTML5, JavaScript and CSS has been produced to inspire the public to try their hand at coding and mobile development.

Released as part of National Coding Week, the seven-part video navigates "people of all skill levels" through the "basic building blocks" required to "create your own app, from scratch."

Free to watch, the film is a response to the UK’s digital skills gap, officially estimated in June to affect half of employers, 12.3million adults and lost GDP to the tune of £63billion a year.  

“That skills gap needs bridging,” says Bill Walker of IT certifications provider QA Training, which narrates the video. “There is a huge demand for digital talent.”

Walker hopes that with UK unemployment standing at almost 5%, the jobless will be among those who will rise to the challenge of coding -- partly to help bridge the skills gap.

Incentivising the jobless with some salary figures is Anthony Sherick, managing director of Technojobs, who says entry-level candidates with a good grounding can earn £25,000.

But that’s only a starting point. “The average salary for a mobile developer with a few years’ good experience is £45,000,” he says. “A senior mobile developer will earn over £60,000.”

Sherick also pointed out that “higher” earnings are possible on a daily, weekly or monthly basis through coding temporarily, as a professional contractor.

Steve Pankhurst, co-founder of Friends Reunited who developed the school reunion site before pocketing £30million from its sale to ITV, agrees that the appeal of contracting is strong.

“Flexible hours, working remotely, anywhere at any time,” he said, citing some of the perks. “And putting software out on the web that is used and makes a difference to people -- the realisation that people use your systems for good, is rather cool.”