What are Digital Careers?

Click on the image to link directly to the video Click on the image to link directly to the video. You may find it helpful to have preloaded this to speed up the transition. After watching it through fully once, stop it after the point at which she states she wants to know “the world behind the computer” and ask what does she mean

Noushin talks about knowing… When Noushin mentions the “World behind the computer” ask the group what they think is meant here. Lead a discussion about technology being a tool to help people not something of itself. You might mention some roles here which are specifically related to helping people to show that it is about making other systems and processes more efficient. what does she mean?

Explain that you’re going to focus on one particular role to give some depth. Ask who has ever heard of Human Computer Interaction Consultant before? If anyone has ask them about their understanding of the role. It is unlikely they will have. Explain it is a role which is emerging out of the cross between the information technology sector and psychology

Human Computer Interaction Consultant Information technology Occupational Psychology Design Professionals Explain it is a role which is emerging out of the cross between the information technology sector and psychology. It also uses some of the key skills used by designers. Give some basic details about the role and explain it has developed from the role of systems analysis: HCI Consultants: Look at a system and see what problems people may face in accessing it, e.g. how might a person with poor sight still be able to ‘read’ things from a screen. Look at a system and see how it might be made more profitable, e.g. where on a screen do adverts generate the most click throughs. Design online learning systems. If people are interested in this area you might also show them the video Catherine’s Story. Her company develops learning systems and hearing her route into this career area will show that there are different ways of getting to each digital career as she focuses more on the creativity in this role.

However technological developments intervened for Noushin. Task - read the case studies: Mark’s story Barbara’s story In small groups or pairs talk with your neighbours about what turning points the three case studies mentioned for themselves.

Timeline Activity Task: In small groups or pairs, look at the key turning-points/developments in the digital sector on your worksheet. Can you work out which event happened on which date? Think about: inventions, changes in the way people use computers and; costs. Extension task* Think forward too, map onto your timeline changes you expect to happen in the coming decade.

How close were you?

Predicted Growth Areas 1.Software Developer 2. Information Security Analysts 3. Computer Systems Analysts 4. Computer and Information Systems Manager 5. Computer and Information Research Scientists 6. Computer Network Architect 7. Network and Computer Systems Administrators 8. Database Administrator 9. Web Developer 10. Computer Support Specialists Give this list of jobs which currently exist and are predicted to grow and ask them what changes they predict in technology. Students could research each job and create a display of these growth jobs if in an ICT classroom.

More intelligent data analysis requiring Predictions: Increase in the games consumer market. This was worth £4.19bn in 2015 up £210m from 2014 and is set to keep growing (Source: UKEI). Increase in artificial intelligence projects (generation five technology). More intelligent data analysis requiring programmers, coders and designers. We will be short of digital workers: It is estimated that Britain will need 750,000 skilled digital workers by 2017, but the number of computer science students graduating each year stands at around 56,000. Here you are drawing out the point that the whole industry is likely to change, it is so rapidly developing and that students should just prepare themselves generally and a computing or IT degree is perfect for this. Explain there is a salary premium associated with this skills gap.

“For parents, computer science has this image that it’s a bit geeky,” said Professor Alan Smithers. “Computers are the future and computer science courses command a salary premium.” Introduce these figures as the degrees which have the highest average starting salaries for their graduates. Explain the first four columns of data is taken six months after graduating and is available for all UK courses. If they are interested in this idea you can refer them to http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/ to look at courses. The latter two columns come from Highfliers research which looks at salaries of graduate joining training schemes with big companies and from the Higher Education Statistics Agency which looks at all starting salaries. Apprenticeship pay detail is from the 2014 Apprenticeship pay survey and details pay for level 3 apprentices. See https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/387319/bis-14-1281-apprenticeship-pay-survey-2014.pdf