Debate: How Stockholm will get more programmers
Stockholm wants to defend its position as one of the world's smartest cities. To do so, access to people trained in computer science and digital product and service development is crucial. The city has therefore created a programming commission to help bring about change, writes IT&Telecom's Fredrik von Essen, together with politicians and representatives from education and business.
The knowledge-intensive services sector is growing ever faster. The Nordic countries are at the forefront. Sweden has high ambitions and Stockholm is now the start-up capital of Europe and a hub for many successful IT companies.
In the Swedish capital, programmers have become the most common profession and the demand for skilled talent in this field is high. This rapid development is placing new demands on the education system as a whole - from pre-school, through primary and secondary schools, to colleges and universities.
Stockholm is determined to defend its position as one of the world's smartest cities. To succeed, the availability of people trained in data science and digital product and service development is crucial.
The city has therefore created a programming commission that will develop a number of proposals and recommendations over a two-year period. The goal is to increase both the general digital competence and the more specific competence in programming through Stockholm's schools, which means that we will have even more trained programmers as well as other experts in digital product and service development.
And no matter what profession students ultimately choose, our ambition is for them all to develop the understanding and skills that are essential in an increasingly digitalized world.
We, the members of the Programming Commission, take on this task with enthusiasm and share the desire to contribute to real change. Through our diverse networks and experiences, we will compile and analyze national and international research, as well as forward-looking initiatives and established practices around programming and computational thinking in schools.
Our goal is to, in collaboration with the Swedish National Agency for Education and others, continuously contribute knowledge and ideas that develop teaching and improve all students' learning and goal achievement.
Our work will be based on three main areas:
1. Equal life chances
We want schools to be compensatory and for access to digital tools in preschool and school to contribute to a childhood characterized by a desire to learn and develop. By understanding programming and how digital products and services work, it is possible to understand the world and take advantage of more of the opportunities that life offers.
2. The labor market of tomorrow
We envision a world where basic skills in programming and digital creation are a prerequisite for accessing key societal functions and services. The labor market of the future will largely require skills that are characteristic of computational thinking and creativity.
3. programming and digital creation to support learning
Digitalization is a great opportunity to support teaching and learning. Dedicated educators, apps, technical aids and computers are already helping our children to develop their learning. As a school authority, you need to be agile and at the same time let developments take place on the basis of science and proven experience.
In Sweden today, more than two-thirds of two-year-olds use the internet regularly. We can't even imagine, let alone fully control, the knowledge journey that our children and grandchildren will experience in their lifetime. What we can decide on, however, is that all children and young people should have an equal chance to keep up with developments, so that our society does not drift apart but stays together.
In the world we live in, we need positive role models to show how freedom, peace and democracy go hand in hand with economic and technological development. We are now moving from words to action and invite everyone who wants Stockholm to be one of the leading knowledge cities in the world to contribute to the exciting work that lies ahead.
Olle Burell, School Mayor (S) City of Stockholm
Maria Rankka, CEO, Stockholm Chamber of Commerce
Karl Alfredsson, Development Manager Lin Education
Cecilia Brinck, Opposition Mayor (M) City of Stockholm
Emelie Dahlström, Secretary General of the Code Center
Fredrik von Essen, Industry Policy Expert, IT&Telecom Industries
Fredrik Heintz, Associate Professor Linköping University
Ann Hellenius, IT Director, City of Stockholm
Lena Lindblad Petersen, Principal Sjöstadsskolan
Martin Lorentzon, Chairman and Founder Spotify
Linda Mannila, researcher and educator, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
Tony Mufic, Director of Education, City of Stockholm
Karin Nygårds, teacher Stockholm City and expert UR
Johan Törnroth, Chairman of the Stockholm Teachers' Union
Patrick Vestberg, Principal Stockholm Science and Innovation School
Milena Vilcinskaite, student Stockholm Science and Innovation School
Dag Wolters, Secretary General Hello World! Non-profit organization