Scotland has a huge opportunity to create a digital economy built on skilled work. According to Scotland IS’ 2024 Scottish Technology Industry Survey, 13,000 new positions in digital technologies are created each year as demand for skilled professionals continues to grow.

CGI recognises that the way to develop this workforce is to not only build interest and enthusiasm among future generations in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) but also tap into communities that otherwise would not gain the resources and encouragement to pursue these opportunities.

That is why it created a new flagship programme of STEM Camps – fun, interactive one or half-day events that aim to teach students in schools and community organisations all about STEM-related careers.

The camps were introduced in the UK and around the world in 2017 and have since served more than 6,000 young people as well as engaging hundreds of CGI volunteers.

Among those to benefit around Scotland most recently from STEM Camps has been Smithycroft Secondary School in Riddrie, Glasgow.

CGI’s STEM team led by CGI Head of Service Scott Grant and including Wendy O’Hagen, Stephen Goldie, Gladys Miller, Caroline Paterson and Grant Ferguson were invited by Smithycroft’s maths department to test groups of S2 pupils’ ability to work in teams in order to learn meaningful digital skills such as coding – while having a lot of fun.

Tasks included working with special robots, called Sphero BOLTS, adding in code so they could manoeuvre them successfully around cones laid out across the school’s gym hall. Supervised by the CGI team and their teachers, pupils also donned VR headsets to learn how to navigate their way through a virtual landscape, as well as taking part in a STEM spaghetti tower challenge – designing and building 3D towers using only raw spaghetti and marshmallows.

The result was a whole school year enthused in the workings of digital technology, as well as engaging their brains in fun and highly-creative challenges.

Lindsay McGranaghan, Senior Vice President Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: “We are delighted with the success of our STEM Camps. They are a tremendous way of introducing young people to the world of technology and coding in a really accessible way. They not only learn how to work together in teams through creative challenges like building a tower from spaghetti, they also get to use more intricate equipment like the Sphero BOLTS which introduces them to the basic concepts of coding, as well as the using the VR headsets.

“Our members thoroughly enjoy delivering these camps because they are fun, and there’s nothing more positive for young people than learning something new in a creative and entertaining environment. Smithycroft is not the only school where we’ve held a camp this summer. We also visited St Margaret’s High School in Airdrie, and attended St Paul’s Primary in Hamilton to support their World of Work Week by telling them all about what it is like to work in tech.

“But there is a serious message behind it all. It has never been more important to encourage and inspire talent and innovation in our sector – especially among those who might not have access to such equipment like Sphero BOLTS and VR headsets. We find that STEM Camps are a great way of bridging the digital divide and challenging stereotypes when it comes to engagement with STEM.

“This approach works, as we have seen many young men and women across Scotland, after they’ve left school, come to us to join our apprenticeship programme. They were enthused by events such as our STEM Camps and wanted to forge a career in tech. If we manage to encourage any of those young people involved in the Smithycroft STEM camp to approach us about an apprenticeship in the future, it proves our approach is working to build the next generation of digital workers that Scotland so desperately needs.”

Smithycroft Secondary School head teacher Patrick Oberg said: “CGI’s STEM camp was a tremendous success. Our S2 pupils loved the practical nature of the camp, where they could not only use the Sphero BOLTS but also experience the VR headsets – something they would not normally get to see in the classroom. The guidance and enthusiasm of the CGI team also really brought their learning to life and made the whole day very dynamic.

“Days like this definitely boost interest in STEM subjects, coding and computing, as well as mathematics among our pupils. It encourages them to see the bigger picture and the rewards that knuckling down and studying STEM qualifications can bring. I hope that many of them, by engaging in a positive way with technology, will now look to the benefits of a STEM career and join Scotland’s digital workforce in the future.”