Institute of Coding

The second Institute of Coding annual conference was held from 24-25 February 2020, at the IET: Savoy Place in London. In this podcast, Neil Milliken leads a panel discussion on how assistive technology can support and improve learning outcomes at all stages of digital skills education.

Chair: Neil Milliken, Chair of the IoC D&I Board / Global Head Of Accessibility (Atos)
Panellists: 

• Molly Watt, Accessibility Consultant, 
• Robin Spinks Senior Strategy Manager, RNIB, 
• Professor Amanda Kirby, Do-IT Solutions, 
• Piers Wilkinson, Disability Officer, NUS

Designed for a diverse audience of policy makers, employers, educators and learners, the IoC brought together a broad group of participants to find collaborative ways to respond to topics of national interest, including the digital skills gap and the need for better diversity and inclusion in the sector.  

Government, industry and learner representatives explored the future of degree apprenticeships at our conference in March. Listen to their discussion panel with:

• Clare Bonson, Deputy Director, the Department for Education
• Professor Malcolm Press, Vice-Chancellor, Manchester Metropolitan University and a member of the Institute of Apprenticeships Board
• Chloe Hodgson, Degree Apprentice, Autotrader, and studying at Manchester Metropolitan University 
• Bob Clift, Director of Employer Relationships, Tech Partnership Degrees
• Claire Findlay, Global Head of Apprenticeships, Barclays 

A panel of policy experts, chaired by Nicola Turner MBE, Head of Sector Practice at the Office for Students, consider current and emerging Government policy affecting pathways to sought after digital skills, access to and participation in those pathways, and employment in the digital economy. The panel focuses upon key digital skills shortages, equality of educational outcomes and social mobility.

Panellists include: 

• Dr. Brooke Storer-Church, Skills and Employability Manager, Fair Access and Participation Directorate, Office for Students
• Tim Cook, Team Leader, Office for Artificial Intelligence at the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
• Stephen Rogers, STEM and Digital Skills Unit, Department for Education
• Professor Andy Westwood, Vice Dean for Social Responsibility and Professor of Government Practice, The University of Manchester

There are far too few women in the computing and digital sectors. Chaired by Dr Darren Dancey of Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), this session presents an analysis of the data followed by a series of invited speakers who share their experience of addressing gender inequality. 

Featuring:

Dr Darren Dancey, MMU 

Prof Edmund Robinson, QMUL 

Katie Gallagher, Managing Director, Manchester Digital

Gillian Arnold, Managing Director, Tectre, and member of the IoC Diversity & Inclusion Board 

Panellists include Debbie Forster MBE, CEO, Tech Talent Charter, and member of the IoC Diversity & Inclusion Board and Nadia Johnson, Undergraduate Apprentice, Thales

How can we reach and teach the digital workers of the future? Listen to James Davenport from University of Bath discuss challenges to digital skills training, along with Amali de Alwis, Mark Giesbrecht, Mark Smith and Olivier Crouzet. 

President of techUK and co-chair of the IoC Jacqueline de Rojas gave an inspiring speech on life long learning during the conference dinner.