Next Gen Skills

The government has promised to review ICT teaching in schools and look at introducing computer science teaching, as part of its response to our Next Gen. report into the changes needed in our education system to drive hi-tech growth.

Watch the campaign video

Find out why we need to teach our children computer science - and not just ICT.

How it started

In July 2010 Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries asked Ian Livingstone and Alex Hope, working with NESTA and Skillset and e-skills UK to produce an independent report into the skills needed for school leavers and graduates to fully engage with the UK's world-class video games and visual effects industries.

The research involved the largest ever survey of games and VFX companies as well as educators, parents and children.

The resulting analysis and action plan, 'Next Gen.', was published by NESTA in February 2011 and was welcomed by the government as an important contribution to the evidence base for the skills needs of the UK's video games and VFX industries.

Next steps

Now the government have published their reponse to our report and have promised to address key recommendations from it including:

• Introducing computer science into the National Curriculum
• Supplying high quality computer science teachers

NESTA looks forward to working with the government, industry partners and educators in fully implementing the recommendations we set out in Next Gen. Read what the next steps for Next Gen. are here.