The survey, produced by UK-based software company KX, showed that 41% of students can currently write, or are planning on learning to write, at least one coding language. Nearly a third see it as a core life skill.
More broadly, 29% of UK students aged 16-23 have either started or are planning to start a course in data analytics and data science, and 24% say the same for computational intelligence.
However, the growing interest seemingly has few learning opportunities as 43% of students say a barrier to their learning is that it is not taught in schools – suggesting a greater need to focus on digital skills in the education system.
“With the continuing digitisation of almost all industries, these skills will be fundamental to the growth and development of both individual and economies,” said Kathy Schneid, chief marketing officer at KX. “There is a role here for companies to partner with education institutions as well as invest in training to help new recruits get the skills they need to succeed.”
Nearly a third of students said that speaking a foreign language and having computer programming skills are equally valuable to their careers, 34% said that foreign languages are more important and 20% said coding.
The main reason for their interest in coding is that they believe it allows for better job opportunities (60%) and higher salaries (45%).
A recent report by the UK Government showed that strengthening and supporting digital ecosystems could boost the economy by £41.5 billion by 2025, and support 678,000 new jobs.
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