To ask the Minister of Education (i) to detail any plans she has to improve and increase information computer technology education in schools; and (ii) for her assessment of how meeting the needs of industry can be bettered with improving skills in this area.

My Department and the Department for the Economy are working collaboratively to develop a framework for 14-19 education which will help ensure that young people have the appropriate skills to thrive and work in the 21st Century. A key part of that work is to equip young people with the skills they need to succeed in the digital economy and connect to jobs of the future. My Department is committed to promoting the development of digital skills and uptake of qualifications in digital technology.

ICT is one of the three statutory cross-curricular skills at the heart of the Northern Ireland (NI) curriculum. Schools should ensure that pupils develop the three cross-curricular skills of Communication, Using Mathematics and Using ICT throughout their time in compulsory education. Using ICT aims to develop pupils’ digital skills and encourages them to handle and communicate information, solve problems, pose questions and be creative in using digital technology.

My Department also funds Business in the Community’s Time to Code Programme for Key Stage 2 pupils, as well as a range of programmes developed by Sentinus, including coding activities in primary and post-primary schools. Additionally, this year my Department has funded a coding programme for Year 6 pupils delivered by Sentinus as part of its NI1100 programme.

Recently, my Department collaborated with the Department for the Economy, Civica and a wide range of businesses to support the successful delivery of NI Digital Awareness Week for schools. This innovative online careers event was designed to showcase the many varied jobs and opportunities in the IT sector.

CCEA has worked closely with industry to develop modern, fit for purpose qualifications and currently offers GCSE and GCE Digital Technology along with GCE Software Systems Development qualifications. Over 70% of post-primary schools offer a GCSE in Digital Technology.

To support effective delivery of the curriculum, CCEA has developed a Digital Skills Progression Pathway which illustrates the opportunities for digital skills development that the curriculum offers. It suggests potential progression pathways through learning from Foundation Stage, through the primary key stages, to post-primary and qualifications.