Causeway partnered with the Royal Institution (RI) in 2014 to expand its national programme of RI Masterclasses and provide Computer Science Masterclasses to young students aged between 9 and 18. Four years on, Causeway reflect on the growing partnership.
Since the first endowment from Causeway, the Computer Science masterclass series has increased fivefold. The RI now provide 20 masterclass series, reaching 400 of the UK’s most promising students, as well as offering many other additional opportunities. The students, nominated by their teachers, represent the most gifted and talented in their schools and are challenged to stretch their abilities beyond the set curriculum. Furthermore, as all of the lectures within the masterclass series are chosen from industry, students are offered a real insight into potential career paths.
Causeway are committed to supporting skills for the future. At a time when technology is advancing faster than ever before, computer science skills have become crucial, not only within software development but across essentially every industry. The cross-disciplinary skills that the Computer Science masterclasses provide prepare students for industry and spark an interest in the possibilities that lay ahead of them.
Rachel Dorris, Masterclass Programme Manager at the RI commented, “The UK is seeing such a big skills gap within the technology sector and so many organisations are struggling to recruit people with the right skills”. The masterclasses aim to resolve this shortage by inspiring the next generation of computer science professionals.
Phil Brown, CEO of Causeway Technologies Ltd, proposed: “The UK should be a leader, rather than a follower in the digital technology age. Nurturing an air of excitement in computer science from an early age is essential if we are to create a generation of innovative young people who are capable of benefiting from the enormous possibilities and opportunities that the subject presents.”
Causeway and the RI share a vision to provide young, gifted and talented students with the tools to pursue their curiosity in science and technology, helping to bridge the excellence gap and make the UK a world leader in computer science throughout the 21st century and beyond.
For more information on the partnership and the masterclasses, watch the video below:
