Industry leaders and government come out in support of #NationalCodingWeek

National Coding Week, the week-long event offering adults an insight into digital industries, is set to return for the second time in 2015. With events planned up and down the country, National Coding Week will give adults an opportunity to learn how to write computer code, potentially opening the door to a new career.

Following the success of its inaugural year, National Coding Week will take place from September 21-27. People from across the UK can join local free-to-attend training sessions where they'll be taught the basics of coding alongside other beginners with little or no previous knowledge.

A recent survey conducted by National Coding Week revealed that 52% of adults in the UK said they would feel ‘extremely or very daunted' at the prospect of learning to code, while 41.3% believed that the older they are, the harder it is to pick up a skill like coding.

Richard Rolfe, co-founder of National Coding Week, said: "The key aims of National Coding Week are to encourage adults of any age to learn an element of computer coding, to encourage digital experts to share their skills, and to collaborate, share, learn and have fun! If I can learn to code at age 51 then anyone can!"

Government representatives from the UK and Wales have been showing their support for the week-long call to action. Wales will be staging a total of 22 events across the country, one in each unitary authority. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, will also be supporting the event for the second year.

The Mayor said: "Coding is a language that is increasingly important for both young people and adults to understand, but it can be an intimidating prospect. National Coding Week will help to make whole generations of Brits more comfortable with coding, allowing them to embrace the business opportunities of the future."

Coding organisations have joined forces with the wider tech industry to support the initiative and run their own events. Organisations already supporting this year's event include Decoded, Women Who Code, We Got Coders, Codeclan, Incubus London and International tech conference organisers Future Insights. This year's event is sponsored by JT Group Global.

Kathryn Parsons, co-founder of Decoded said: "The future is being written in lines of code. Whether you're 7, 17, 37 or 70…there has never been a better time to learn the languages of technology, the language of billions. Take the leap during National Coding Week.

"Whether you sign up to a code school, learn online or buddy up with a coder in your local community, there are so many ways to learn. Take your first steps behind the screen, unleash your inner geek and see how fun and creative it can be."

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

    Tweet your support using the hashtag #NationalCodingWeek
    Follow us on Twitter @codingweek
    Visit our website http://www.nationalcodingweek.co.uk/ to find out how you can host or attend an event in your area