So this week it’s National Coding week ??? This is an area of STEM that is relatively new to me, but I am really interested in it now I am delving more into it all. I have to admit my first exposure to the world of coding was hearing Karlie Kloss speaking about her “Kode with Klossy” initiative on Tim Ferriss’ podcast last year (https://www.kodewithklossy.com/). This is a free coding camp in the USA for girls aged 13-18 which is a huge driver in terms of changing children’s perceptions of coding and jobs in tech. For those who aren’t familiar with Karlie, she is a fashion model so she’s bringing a bit of glamour to the world of coding, but also opening up this discipline to her followers who might not typically have been exposed to the tech world.
Over my period of furloughment I was successfully selected by the TechTalent Academy for a funded place on their Women in Data Academy (https://techtalent.academy/). There is a huge skills shortage of women in data roles in the West Midlands, so this course was developed to try and bridge that gap. I have weekly lectures via Zoom and have to complete various home learning tasks each week. At the end of the course I will take an exam and upon successful completion will have a BCS Essentials Certificate in Artificial Intelligence.
The academy has been so good since I joined back in June, I’ve learned how to code in Python and R so far and we’re just delving more into the data analysis side of things using additional packages such as NumPy and Pandas. The support network is brilliant, with knowledgeable lecturers and a collaborative platform for students to work together on projects. I’m enjoying fitting studying back into my life again, albeit in a smaller capacity than with my Bachelor’s Degree!
I’ve also signed up for an online self-directed course in website development by Development Island, which only cost £10 through Reed. I never realised job sites like Reed offered courses but I found there to be a huge selection of courses on a wide range of subjects. I would definitely recommend investigating resources like this if you are looking to up-skill, develop your skills in new areas or are just interested in a new field entirely.
I haven’t started this yet as I’m waiting until I’ve got a bit further through my Data Academy, but the course content is based around learning HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Once I’ve completed this qualification I will be able to build apps, develop professional websites and build widgets to embed on websites.
There are a huge amount of online resources and free/reasonably priced courses available on various aspects of coding, and I would highly recommend investigating this exciting field which is going to be so key in the future. There are thousands of videos hosted on YouTube if you get stuck along the way, and I’ve found forums to be a super useful resource when learning the various coding languages.
So during this National Coding Week, why not take a look at the world of coding and see if it’s something you’d like to get stuck into ???
As ever, if you have any comments or questions about coding please feel free to reach out through the comments or email me at thefemaleengineerblog@gmail.com
Emilie
The Female Engineer
