THE Computer Science Education Week was celebrated in a more meaningful way at the end of last year by having youth and youngsters from diverse communities across Malaysia, including youth in hospitals, undocumented youth/ refugees and youth with disabilities (different abilities) learn the basics of computer science.
Organised by Microsoft Malaysia, the programme featured Hour of Code sessions that incorporated International Day for Persons with Disabilities, Human Rights Day, and International Day for Migrants.
Together with partners such as Schools in Hospitals, IDEAS Academy, Malaysian Social Research Institute, Yayasan Chow Kit and Kechara Soup Kitchen, Microsoft aimed to empower and include youth from all walks of life through its coding sessions.
Director of Microsoft Malaysia, K Raman, said: “With an aim to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more, we are proud to enable opportunities to demystify computer science and deliver basic coding lessons to these undeserved youth. We hope that they will benefit from and enjoy the sessions, and perhaps the opportunity will encourage more youth to pursue technology careers.”
A study by LinkedIn in October 2016 showed that the top 10 skills employers are seeking in potential candidates are mostly technology-related. The ability to mine data and conduct statistical analysis was the second most sought-after skill while knowledge in cloud computing topped the list.
Launched on Nov 15, 2016, the Hour of Code programme was introduced to 70 undocumented youth, youth with disabilities and youth from undeserved communities, who learnt coding, computational thinking and computer science concepts. A total of 111 Hour of Code events were then conducted by Microsoft’s team of volunteers in November and December of 2016.
This campaign has garnered steadfast support from the minister of education himself, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
Also, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education’s Schools in Hospitals, the Hour of Code sessions were conducted in three paediatric wards in Hospital Kuala Lumpur, including the dialysis unit and the oncology ward.
Meanwhile, the Hour of Code session conducted with Kechara Soup Kitchen, a non-profit organisation that provides free food for the homeless and urban poor, and Yayasan Chow Kit reached at-risk youths based in and around Kuala Lumpur.