Employment Expertise: Introducing kids to IT, coding

Kids stuck at home? Introduce them to great careers in information technology.

By now, you may be running out of ways to keep your kids entertained at home. What if they could learn something new, get on the path to a great career and have fun?

West Michigan Tech Talent, a group of educators, trainers, Information Technology professionals and workforce experts, has curated a list of great, at-home resources that kids can use to get started in computer science.

“Having tech skills encourages kids to think about what’s possible in the future,” said Anne Pentiak, industry council lead with West Michigan Tech Talent.

“These resources fit any age and learning level, from pre-K to adult learners. The curriculum is mostly self-paced, and the topics range from basic coding to being a good digital citizen.”

These online resources provide more than just basic coding knowledge. “We curated this free tech curriculum to help kids learn things like problem-solving, communication and following instructions, in addition to basic coding,” Pentiak continued.

A bright future in IT

IT is one of the fastest-growing industries in West Michigan. Additionally, tech careers pay well. The average salary for a computing occupation in Michigan is $80,478 annually.

There are and will be many, good-paying jobs available for students who study computer science.

Unfortunately, Michigan is not producing enough computer science grads to meet its workforce needs.

WMTT hopes that by engaging more students—especially girls and students of color, who are underrepresented in the field—it will help create a qualified and diverse IT workforce to meet our state’s demand.

WMTT’s list of free resources

• Code Break by Code.org features a weekly, live webcast where members of the Code.org team teach students at home.
• The MIT App Inventor helps students build apps using entertaining and quick video tutorials.
• Tynker teaches kids how to make games and programs featuring an easy-to-use programming language.

You can find the full list of resources at bit.ly/At-Home-Tech-Resources.

Are you looking for a job?

West Michigan Works offers a variety of virtual events where you can speak directly to local employers who are hiring now. Find events and learn more at westmiworks.org/virtual-hiring-events.

— Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works. Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or contact your local Service Center.