Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates once again make headlines on another philanthropic endeavor. It looks like aside from supporting the life sciences, Zuck and Gates also seek to recruit fresh meat for their bulging companies. The solution? Persuade the younger generations to take up computer programming and coding.
It is through the non-profit organization Code.org that Gates and Zuckerberg get the chance to appeal their case. Programming skills, they say, aren’t that difficult to learn and was able to make them the successful men that they are now. That is if you measure success by having a multimillion dollar company, which you totally should.
Code.org created a 9-minute short film that highlights some of the world’s most successful tech entrepreneurs to recount how learning to code literally changed their lives. The film, which we’ve embedded below, aims to persuade people to take up coding, as statistics show that the number of available jobs for technology far outstrips the supply of competent computer programmers.
“Enrollment rates in programming classes are low, but what is worse is that schools aren’t even teaching it, even though this is the fastest growing segment of jobs in the country… Nine out of ten U.S. schools don’t offer computer programming classes at all — and those that do often treat it as an elective that doesn’t count toward graduation, the same as, say woodworking.”
The statistics on Code.org’s website do point out that computer and technology can very well be the saving grace of the economy. If you think that it is time for the common folk to go further than learning just how to turn on a computer, go ahead and spread the word about Code.org’s video. Watch it together with some friends, visit the Code.org website and start learning how to code. Who knows, you might be rubbing shoulders with Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates before you know it.