The Hub - Vision

MIDDLESBROUGH CITY LEARNING CENTRE

The Hub

A VISION FOR DEVELOPING AN ALL THROUGH DIGITAL PATHWAY

Introduction

In the Teesside area there is an ambition to develop as a leading hub for the digital sector and to continue to develop as a hot bed of technology entrepreneurs. This development is being spearheaded by Digital City Business and The Institute of Digital Innovation at Teesside University.

See section xiii for the objectives to achieve this ambition.

“Everything we do is geared toward making the North East of England the best place to develop your digital media, digital technology or creative business.” Digital City Business

‘Recovering from a global recession, the UK can play a leading role in developing the new economy that will shape the next 10 years.

It will be a decade of challenges, but also one of opportunities.

Tees Valley is ready; tackling head on the existing perceptions of the area and setting out the agenda for transformational change as local communities take greater responsibility in their future development.’ TVU (Tees Valley Unlimited) Aims and Ambitions

The work of these two effective organisations has led to the area hosting and mentoring over 200 start up businesses in the digital sector. Over the next 10 years these hundreds of businesses should lead to thousands of jobs being created in the digital sector on Teesside. If people from our area are not skilled to meet these positions they will miss out on employment and the work will go elsewhere.

Our passion is to see a clear pathway for students growing up on Teesside to move through their education and have an equal opportunity to gain a career in the digital sector.

However a key part of that pathway seems to be missing and this vision document aims to outline a road map for completing the pathway.

The section of the path we believe is missing includes the following elements: 1. A knowledge of, and access to, the digital community developing in Teesside from an early age. (these exciting careers are a serious option for you!)

2. A skill set being taught in schools that is appropriate for the sector and a clear pathway through further and higher education. (You need these skills and qualifications and you can get them from these places!)

3. The opportunity to become part of a community of similarly skilled young people to grow alongside one another and network together. Alongside a creative 3rd place space for that community to meet up and get creative. (If you are involved with these people, at this place, creative ideas will emerge and business opportunities will be sparked!)

4. Opportunities to be seen by the main players in the local digital community both through work experience and forums where students can show off their work. (If you

number of adults who want to learn programming so they can teach programming. As this happens there is an opportunity to influence the mix of skills to be taught in local schools so that they are partly specific to the skills needed in the Teesside digital sector. At the same time parents are becoming aware of this need for their children as the following quote shows from C.A.S. (Computing At School)* â&#x20AC;&#x153;CAS are getting an increasing number of enquiries from parents asking what they can do to help their <insert age here> aged son/daughter improve their coding/programming skills. I reply with the standard Scratch/BYOB, Alice, Greenfoot, YouSrc, Python etc., with also some recommendations to websites such as Udacity, iTunes-U and so on.â&#x20AC;?

The following vision is based on the pathway young people could take to be in the best position possible to contribute with their maximum potential to the development of digital innovation and enterprise on Teesside. It shows how Middlesbrough City Learning Centre is ideally placed in both expertise and environment to be the HUB of this pathway moving Teesside forwards.

impress these people you put yourself in line for offers of work and business support)

This opportunity comes at a crucial time when education is restructuring the way IT is taught in schools and schools have a certain amount of freedom over the next two years to be creative with what they teach. More computer science is to be taught in schools and at the same time many teachers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the skills and confidence to teach it. Therefore we have a

* see glossary ii

AGES

5 - 10

@Key Stage 1 and 2

At this stage pupils would ideally be experiencing an introduction to controlling computers and basic programming. They would be practiced in creative thinking and ideas development, have awareness of the digital sector developing in Teesside and have access to optional coding clubs.

KS 1 AND 2

Possible Roles for the HUB M AIN R OLES 1. Support for teachers delivering computer control modules.

2. After school coding clubs set up in primary schools with volunteers.

3. Service level agreement with schools to support CPD, ICT consultation and access to the centre.

It has become clear that some primary schools struggle to deliver control technology as required by the current National Curriculum and as the curriculum changes to include more control and programming content the need for effective CPD and in class support is clearly going to increase. This is something the CLC has been involved with for the last 10 years.

The orgainisation ‘Coding Clubs’ has recently launched a nationwide primary school initiative to get coding clubs running after school with the help of local volunteers and have a large take up of people wanting to help children learn these skills. This would obviously need to be monitored and child protection policy met in full. With the CLC’s expertise it is ideally placed to offer this as part of a package to schools.

Again the CLC has experience and expertise of offering technology training to teachers. As part of a Service Level Agreement the CLC could offer training for teachers to ready them for the introduction of a more logical thinking based curriculum. The CLC could also offer expertise in order to assist schools in selecting and procuring the most appropriate equipment for school use. Access can be made available for the schools within the agreement to periodic taylor made experiences at the centre that introduces pupils to the world of IT. Pathway waypoints: 1. Basic grounding in logical thinking.

2. Introduction to coding. 3. Knowledge of IT as a career possibility.

4

A GES 11 - 13

@Key Stage 3

In key stage 3, as well as the programs of study followed in curriculum time as currently prescribed by the CAS computing curriculum document, pupils would benefit from working on projects with actual outcomes. Looking at the mechanisms around developing an idea into a product and starting to have increased autonomy in developing their technical skills.

K EY S TAGE 3

Possible Roles for the HUB M AIN R OLES 1. Coding and enterprise academy opportunity for selected students.

2. Support for transition to a more logical thinking based IT curriculum.

3.

Access to local Tech. Start-up experiences.

4. 3rd place space for study and collaboration.

A coding and enterprise academy is proposed to introduce the students to a less formal more post modern, entrepreneurial environment. It brings together coding language learning with entrepreneurial enterprise skills. Giving students experiences in a project based course pulling on the expertise and experiences of local entrepreneurs and university students and professors.

The academy would run for Four afternoons a week from 4pm to 6pm. Access to the academy would mainly be for KS4 students but there would be a flexibility to accommodate exceptional younger students.

Access to the academy for those other than the students selected by the schools would be at a cost and would have to run separately from the selected pupils. Scholarships may be an option, possibly made available through a local philanthropic group or funding stream. CLC facilities lend themselves to this kind of technology based group work.

A series of CPD opportunities could be made available for teachers of IT to be up-skilled to feel confident delivering coding and programming in the classroom. These would include workshops, seminars and access into the coding and enterprise academy The CLC is currently securing opportunities for school pupils to tour BOHO and receive input from local entrepreneurs.

This would be made solely available to the schools through the CLC. The CLC boasts a highly connected environment with a constant flow of activities around the digital sector available for students to use for their own study and working on tech. projects. Comfortable seating and quality refreshments and plenty of synergistic opportunities would also be available.

Pathway waypoints: 1. Introduced to the digital sector in Teesside. 2. Becoming proficient in coding languages. 3.

Interacting with older students further down the pathway. 4.

Experience of creative problem solving model similar to the Hyper-Island structure.

6

AGES

14 - 16

@Key Stage 4 During KS4 students are starting to develop a career focus and deciding on the subjects they should study to give them their best chance. It would benefit them at this stage to be introduced to people who have already set up businesses in the digital sector. It would be helpful for them to develop a solid skills base (including that covered by the school curriculum) so that on entering higher education they are well prepared.

It would be an advantage if they had developed creative thinking skills, problem solving skills and become more autonomous learners.

KS4

Possible Roles for the HUB M AIN R OLES 1. The coding and enterprise academy.

2. Access to the digital community in Teesside.

3. Access to professional networking events with DigitalCity and to potential Pier 38 scheme (Mainly for post 16 but flexibility built in) 4. Access to DIY education opportunities.

5. Access to digital examinations.

6. Apprentice enterprise opportunity.

7. Support for transition to a more logical thinking based IT curriculum.

8. 3rd place space for study and collaboration.

A coding and enterprise academy is set up to introduce the students to a less formal more post modern, entrepreneurial environment. It brings together coding language learning with entrepreneurial enterprise skills and experiences in a project based course pulling on the expertise and experiences of local entrepreneurs and university students and professors.

Four afternoons a week from 4pm to 6pm. Access to the academy for those other than the students selected by the schools would be at a cost. Scholarships could be made available through funding or even a local philanthropic group.

The CLC is currently securing opportunities for school pupils to tour BOHO and receive input from local entrepreneurs.

This would be made solely available to the schools through the CLC. This could include the selecting of some students to represent their age group at Digital City networking events and receiving talks from and introduction to the teams developing at the proposed Digital City ‘Pier 38’ experience.

A series of CPD opportunities could be made available for teachers of IT to be up-skilled to feel confident delivering coding and programming in the classroom. These would include workshops, seminars and access into the coding and enterprise academy The CLC boasts a highly connected environment with a constant flow of activities around the digital sector available for students to use for their own study and working on tech. projects. Comfortable seating and quality refreshments and plenty of synergistic opportunities would also be available.

Pathway waypoints: 1. Established relationships within the sector. 2. Opportunity to engage with students and lecturers in higher education. 3. Opportunities to take part in networking events. 4. High level of coding competency. 5.

Regularly involved in creative thinking and problem solving using ‘Hyper Island’ type methodology. (see glossary) 8

A GES 16-19

@ Post 16 Students are now taking career paths and it is important for them to have access to advice and opportunities. The ability to move straight into the digital sector through apprenticeships or putting a team together to start a small business.

Also knowledge of the appropriate courses available at further and higher education. Availability of 3rd place spaces is important to this age group to develop their ideas, skills and their network in comfortable â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;grown-upâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; space.

POST

16

Possible Roles for the HUB M AIN R OLES 1. The coding and enterprise academy 2. Apprenticeship opportunities.

3. Access to professional networking events with DigitalCity and to potential Pier 38 scheme 4. Access to digital examinations. (Test centre) 5. 3rd place work space.

A coding and enterprise academy is set up to introduce the students to a less formal more post modern, entrepreneurial environment. It brings together coding language learning with entrepreneurial enterprise skills and experiences in a project based course pulling on the expertise and experiences of local entrepreneurs and university students and professors. At post 16 it is imagined that some of the students would assist in the running of the academy.

The centre is likely to be let to the Middlesbrough College and other groups as a base for apprentices to access their day of training away from the work place. While at the centre there will be opportunities to engage in the digital sector seminars and network opportunities to further there knowledge and skills.

Digital city is proposing a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pier 38â&#x20AC;&#x2122; type environment subject to funding. (A fertile informal incubator environment based on the San Francisco Pier 38 where many influential tech start-ups started life.) The CLC intend to be connected with this proposed development and be able to facilitate the flow of creative young people into this environment.

The CLC has all the necessary requirements to be a test centre for online examinations. DIY education is taking off and it is important for there to be a test centre locally for students wanting to validate the study they have completed online.

The centre offers a highly connected environment with a constant flow of activities around the digital sector available for students to use for their own study and working on tech. projects. Comfortable seating and quality refreshments would be made available and plenty of synergistic opportunities.

Pathway waypoints: 1. Knowledge of and access to DIY learning. 2. Basic knowledge of how to protect ideas, set up a company, get support for business and routes to funding. 3.

Having opportunities to impress local employers. 4. High level of coding and programming. 5. Many connections within the local digital sector. 6. Experience in pitching an idea.

10

AGES

19+

Life long learning For both those following the pathway from schools and for those looking to retrain there are many digital opportunities. This demographic benefit from access to digital learning, evening classes, specialised seminars on key areas of professional development and networking opportunities to gain access to the digital sector. There is also the need for online test centres to be able to complete online courses and gain certification.

AGES

19+

Possible Roles for the HUB M AIN R OLES 1. Test centre.

2. Advanced apprentice opportunities.

3. Support for DIY education.

4. Access to professional seminars and workshops.

5. Access to 3rd place space for working and networking.

The CLC has all the necessary requirements to be a test centre for online examinations. DIY education is taking off and it is important for there to be a test centre locally for students wanting to validate the study they have completed online.

The CLC is exploring the Possibility with Teesside University to provide advanced apprenticeships in IT. Digital city is proposing a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pier 38â&#x20AC;&#x2122; type environment subject to funding. (A fertile informal incubator environment based on the San Francisco Pier 38 where many influential tech start-ups started life.) The CLC intend to be connected with this proposed development and be able to facilitate the flow of creative young people into this environment.

The CLC intends to offer a series of professional seminars put on for students and local people. These would be to sign up for online at a small cost.

The centre offers a highly connected environment with a constant flow of activities around the digital sector available for students to use for their own study and working on tech. projects. Comfortable seating and quality refreshments and plenty of synergistic opportunities.

Pathway waypoints: 1. Access to working facilities to develop ideas. 2. Access to online courses and testing. 3.

Opportunities to engage talented young people as apprentices.

4. Awareness of routes to funding. 5. Courses and seminars available locally for professional development.

12

TEES VALLEY UNLIMITED - from the priority actions to move towards achieving the statement of ambition for Teesside

Digital Sector

Learning and skills provision

Showing how learning and skills provision for the digital sector in Teesside is a priority action.

Glossary

Hyper Island methodology

Pier 38

- Active participation and learning by experiencing, doing and reflecting.

San Francisco's Pier 38, which houses dozens of startups has become synonymous with the young digital entrepreneurial scene. Digital City are looking into the possibility of setting up a similar creative environment on Teesside subject to funding.

- Trial and error. Mistakes are often the strongest learning experience.

Coding Computer programming, the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging / troubleshooting, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. As information many applications become largely web based the process of programming source code for web applications becomes a major industry skill requirement.

- Working and developing as an individual in teams.

- Using interactive media as a tool for implementing change and improvement.

- Guidance to self insight and group dynamics.

- Real clients, real needs, real learning.

C.A.S. Computing at school is a nation wide organisation promoting the increase of teaching pupils how computers work and are programed as well as just how to use them. xiv