How computer coding will crack unemployment

The need for programmers across the world has never been so acute. [iStock]

The youth of the world remain among the most at risk of unemployment. As global labour needs shift faster than ever, educational institutions are finding themselves hard-pressed to provide an education that prepares the students of today for the jobs of tomorrow. With 84% of students in the world’s high-income countries progressing to higher education, it’s clear that the solutions have to come from outside the traditional school system.

As industry labour needs are quickly shifting, so too are the practical skills required to attain today’s increasingly technical jobs. Technology, once an industry of its own, is now the backbone of nearly every industry in the world. As famed venture capitalist Marc Andreessen has said, “software is eating the world”. Companies like the New York Times find themselves supplanted by more technology-driven companies like Buzzfeed, while industries such as agriculture find their traditional business models upended by smaller, more tech-savvy competitors.