Rob: GoCode Academy is a coding bootcamp on a mission to get more young people into technology. Our mission is to inspire the next generation of coders. We run after school clubs and holiday camps for young people between the ages of 8 and 18. We teach highly in-demand programming languages, like Scratch and Python. We’re part of Natwest’s entrepreneurial programme backed by Dell, KPMG and Pincent Masons. We believe that coding is as important as reading and writing, and would like young people to have this skill. We were chosen as the national winner for a number of reasons. Firstly we have shown drive and ambition as well as the vision to grow the company to the next level. We have shown 18 months of sustained growth with a business plan to grown even more. Most importantly, we are a business that believes in giving young people opportunities, and also equipping them with the skills they need to get a career in this digital era.
Rob: I was working for a successful FinTech (financial technology) company where I used to speak to founders, CEOs and CFOs on a daily basis. One of the issues that many growing companies had was hiring the workforce to do digital work, e.g. developers, digital marketers, social media gurus. And this was simply down to the fact that there weren’t enough people to do the job. I found that quite astonishing because we now live in a society where young people use technology on a daily basis. An interesting stat is that young people now spend 1/3 of their day on a digital platform. I find it crazy that there are so many people using these platforms, but hardly any creating them. The issue is that schools are not preparing young people for roles or jobs in the technology sector. I wanted to fix that and give young people the opportunity to learn these skills. So that’s where GoCode was born.
Rob: The opportunities in web development are in abundance, with only 18 million developers worldwide. From what I have observed, developers using programming languages like Ruby, C and Python are the most sought-after and well-paid.
Rob: The advice I give is to be passionate about what you want to do. If that is web development then throw 100% into the profession, get the right mix of skills and experience and have the right mindset about where you want to be.
Rob: I interned at TechPro in Medellin, Colombia as a Finance Assistant. I really enjoyed my experience there and made loads of friends that I still keep in touch with and see on a regular basis. It has broadened my view on life, cultures and people. I chose to do an internship abroad because I wanted a challenge, the experience and the opportunity to meet new people.
Rob: Absolutely! One of the things I tell young people when I visit them is to travel as much as you can, because when you travel you become a good storyteller. It opens up many opportunities, professional and personal. An international internship is highly sought after by employers.
Rob: As well as learning a lot from my placement, I also learned a lot about The Intern Group, how they operate and also the importance of running a business with a purpose. I was able to learn this because they themselves were a growing organization.
A post shared by GoCode Academy (@gocodeacademy) on Apr 10, 2017 at 4:56am PDT
Rob: So, I was born in Sri Lanka and left due to civil war. I arrived in the UK at the age of 8 after a long struggle. The first challenge I faced was the language barrier, as I didn’t know a word of English… which I got over quite quickly. The next challenge I faced was adapting to the different cultures and working with other people. That was quite challenging. I also had limited opportunities due to the position I was in, but I wanted to do more. Life works in the way where you have to work hard to get the opportunities to excel, nothing is handed to you on a silver platter. For the young people who are facing adversity, I would like to say everything is possible no matter where you come from or what your views are, as long as you have the drive and the will to do better, you can and will. I have always stuck by 3 rules: Believe in yourself. Put in the work. Surround yourself with the right people.
Photos by Robert Rajeswaran