Welsh government to plough £1.2 million into university coding projects

Cardiff and Swansea universities will get a slice of £1.2 million to fund coding projects

Two of Wales' largest universities are to receive £1.2 million of Welsh Government funding to take part in a UK-wide coding initiative.

Speaking on Tuesday, Cabinet Secretary for Education Kirsty Williams said the government will "support" the involvement of Cardiff and Swansea University in the Institute of Coding.

Established by the UK Government, the initiative is aimed at improving digital skills and getting more young people into the technology sector. It is supported by firms like IBM, Cisco, BT and Microsoft.

The Welsh Government's decision to provide funding for the scheme comes a year after it ploughed £1.3 million into schools to get more children in Wales coding.

According to statistics, the Welsh technology industry currently employs 40,000 people and generates £8.5 billion for the Welsh economy.

Over the coming months, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) will distribute the money to these universities. Additionally, it will hand out a further £200,000 to support coding initiatives in schools and colleges.

With the funding, academic institutions will be able to purchase computers and technology equipment to use as part of the Technocamps scheme, which provides hands-on coding activities for teachers and learners.

The government will also set up a network of schools and business liaison officers, along with community engagement code clubs managed by the National Software Academy.

Kirsty Williams said it is "essential" to equip youngsters with the digital skills needed to thrive in today's interconnected world.

"Code is everywhere and part of our everyday lives. Having world-class digital skills is essential and it is vitally important that young people have the ability and knowledge to develop in this field," she explained.

"I'm pleased to announce that £1.2m is available for Cardiff and Swansea universities to take part in the Institute of Coding which will allow them to link with other universities, businesses and industries.

"Importantly the funding will also enable them to carry out work in the community, building further on the steps we have already taken to ensure coding is part of the learning process in our schools."

David Blaney, chief executive of HEFCW, said the funding presents universities with a unique way to engage with transformative technology firms.

"This is an excellent opportunity for the universities involved to be part of the influential consortium of businesses, professional bodies and universities, and to develop a recognised standard to meet the needs of the digital industry," he added.

"We are excited to be able to fund the universities involved in order to give this development the status it deserves in Wales.

"The funding will develop coding activities for students and young people in Wales to help address any skills gaps."