By now, college-aged Americans are all too familiar with the institutional challenges that face them in the workforce.
Though it is certainly more true in certain disciplines than others, the proverbial millennial gripe of being unable to find jobs is supported by extensive research. According to the Economic Policy Institute, 22.1 percent of young college graduates are unemployed or underemployed, compared to just 15.1 percent less than a decade ago.
Meanwhile, in June, U.S. job growth totaled 287,000 — the strongest surge in eight months.
This inequity is troubling. So, what gives?
Job growth has been strong for some time. The problem that plagues new job seekers lies in a lack of valuable qualifications, not a shortage of employment. This is why the U.S., as well as the private sector, must continue to make investments in efforts to teach youth the foundations of computer science and coding.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that one million computer science-related jobs will be unfilled by 2020. Computing skills are in high demand, and these positions generally pay good salaries and offer a high degree of upward mobility and opportunity for professional growth.
Though concerning statistics like these are helping to direct some level of awareness to the importance of computer education, efforts have been severely lacking.
On Tuesday, Apple released a new app called “Swift Playgrounds” which will teach children the foundations of computer programming through games and other accessible platforms. This forward-thinking idea is certainly worthy of applause.
The problem, though, is these apps are only compatible with iPads. The students that would benefit the most from learning these valuable skills generally go to the schools that are among the most underfunded and hail from the households that are least financially equipped to provide them with expensive tools such as iPads.
The idea of making these tools accessible only to those with access to iPads undoubtedly gives way to a self-perpetuating cycle — if you’re poor, you can’t afford an iPad. If you can’t afford an iPad, you’ll never have access to these wonderful resources, so you’ll probably never learn how to code.
And sadly, considering this and other societal inequities, you’ll probably stay poor.
Other coding resources that are developed with accessibility in mind are often criticized for being overly simplistic. Writing for Quartz, Idit Harel posited that the numerous “movie-branded coding apps” that “provide quick experiences of drag-and-drop code entertainment” don’t go far enough in teaching the underlying theories, purposes and applications of coding and computer science.
In May, French business tycoon Xavier Niel announced plans to invest $100 million to bring his French-based, tuition-free coding school, 42, to the U.S. In addition to teaching individuals aged 18 to 30 real-world skills to succeed in an increasingly-digital economy, the school will provide up to 600 dormitories for those unable to pay for housing.
Moving forward, federal agencies and tech companies should take a page out of Niel’s book and consider more substantive methods of teaching youth computing skills.
The basic concept and intent behind the development of “Swift Playgrounds” is laudable, but it’s not accessible to those who need it most. Other coding apps don’t dig deep enough to develop children into young professionals.
With initiatives like Niel’s 42, progress can be made against that figure of one million unfilled computing jobs by 2020.
