National Coding Week kicks off with events around the country from today and will give people the opportunity to try their hand at disciplines such as coding and search engine optimisation.

With sessions in places as diverse as libraries, tech hubs and schools, National Coding Week aims to reach people across the spectrum and whet the nation’s appetite for learning new skills. For some it will be the first step on a journey into a digital business or even a career in digital technology.

Global initiatives of this kind offer a timely reminder of our economy’s growing dependence on digital skills and the need to retrain and upskill adult workers as well as broadening the talent pipeline. This is vital if we are to remain competitive and productive.

More than 84,000 people are employed in digital technology related roles across Scotland and demand for skilled professionals is unprecedented. Career opportunities for those with the right skill set are significant, with up to an estimated 11,000 job opportunities available in Scotland annually.

In order to take advantage of the opportunities that exist we must continue to respond by providing people with the skills and expertise to enable the sector to keep growing and attract overseas investment. We must ensure Scotland continues to be seen as a key player in digital technology including areas such as big data, informatics and digital health where we have already demonstrated considerable strength and expertise.

Scotland is home to world leading universities with an excellent reputation for producing highly capable graduates. However, the number of new graduates entering the workforce each year is not high enough to satisfy the demands of the fast growing ICT and digital technologies industry. There are a number of alternative entry routes into the sector and growing recognition of the benefits they bring.

Interventions recommended in the Skills Investment Plan for Scotland’s ICT and Digital Technologies Sector include support for transition training to help workers move into the industry and promoting Modern Apprenticeships to firms for new and existing employees. MAs are a valuable option for businesses, complementing graduate recruitment, and we are seeing their introduction by firms of all sizes. For the apprentice they present an ideal way to learn on the job, offering the chance to achieve industry-recognised qualifications and earn a wage.

Additionally, the establishment of CodeClan, Scotland’s first accredited digital skills academy, creates a new opportunity for adults to retrain.

CodeClan teaches students, often career changers, to code through an intensive 16 week programming course. It also offers students the ability to work towards the new SQA accredited Professional Development Award in Software Development – a professional level qualification recognised and endorsed by employers across Scotland.

In addition to its full course, CodeClan has introduced one week immersive and part-time evening courses, which allow people to develop skills while in employment.

Innovation is taking place in higher education with new routes into undergraduate study. Skills Development Scotland has developed the framework for the first Information Computer Technology Graduate Level Apprenticeship programme, which will be available through Glasgow Caledonian University.

At least 10 graduate apprentices are expected to begin the four-year honours degree course in January 2017. Successful applicants will be offered a full-time job with leading global IT business, CGI, and the opportunity to achieve a BSc (Hons) in Software Development for Business.

Looking ahead, we must ensure sufficient numbers of young people come up through the education system. As well as addressing structural issues, we must continue to challenge misconceptions about digital technology careers and the industry itself.

The Digital World campaign, backed by the Digital Scotland Business Excellence Partnership, aims to dispel myths and stereotypes around the digital sector while introducing more people to the range of careers. It is reaching out to career influencers such as parents and teachers, and speaking directly to young people to help them see where a career in tech could take them.

Grassroots events such as those run through National Coding Week are a fantastic means of galvanizing individuals into action and we must build on that momentum with even closer collaboration between industry, education and public bodies. Solving the digital skills puzzle may be a complex and challenging task but we are getting there, one algorithm at a time.

Claire Gillespie is Key Sector Manager for ICT and Digital Skills at Skills Development Scotland