Last week I was given the privilege of speaking to 5th & 6th form pupils at Banbridge Academy. I was asked to speak about my experience in starting a business, about entrepreneurship and a career in IT.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience but it made me acutely aware of how hard it is to actually prepare young people for a profession in IT. When asked what subjects one should study, I answered Maths and Physics. In my opinion they are, contrary to belief, more beneficial at that level when pursuing a career in this industry. 

I never studied IT at school, even at GCSE level, so I can't call upon my own experience. I have however spoken with and interviewed many people with IT qualifications who all agree that the value to their career was limited.

Good developers in the making?

I was impressed by the head of ICT in Banbridge who is teaching his students .net and even considering an after-school club for iPhone development. This is a great step forward and is sure to garner interest, but will it produce top notch programmers who are language agnostic?

For me, learning a programming language is only a tiny part of what makes a good developer. Unfortunately it seems this is where the education system is directing most of its effort: determining how to solve problem A using language B. All too often though language B is determined before the problem to be solved is even considered. 

Great developers are the ones who consider the problem, break it down and evaluate how to solve it in their own language. Great developers are the ones who adapt and pick up new tools as they emerge. In this industry we need developers who can think creatively and communicate ideas and solutions effectively. Somehow though, I don't believe that tomorrow's bright young developers are being given the best opportunity to learn the skills they need to progress.