Why A Coding School Is Needed In Munich
The world is not as it used to be. In past generations, the key to prosperity used to be found in tradition. Nowadays, the key to prosperity lies in disruption. Disruption, however, does not need to be an odd and alien concept. On the contrary, disorder needs to be welcomed to become a better version of ourselves as a city, country, and continent.
In the last couple of decades, new concepts such as the internet of things, artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics have become popular. Yet from theory, the world is now moving towards practice, with multinationals such as Apple, Google, and IBM starting to walk the talk with growing investments increasingly.
Naturally, Europe and Germany are seen as prime markets for these companies. However, the fact that we’re seen as potential customers also means that we can very much tap into foreign direct investment. How? Well, research and development need to be undertaken to be perfected for products and services, and what better way is there to achieve this than to conduct your R&D than amid your customer base?
This is not something new, mind you. It’s already happening. Munich’s deep tech startups are booming, and new financing opportunities[1] are constantly coming to fruition, ready to aid sectoral growth. These opportunities are unlikely to stop anytime soon, with the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating digitalization and the development of emerging technologies. Yet as the sector continues to grow, so too will the demand for skilled labor. Over the last years, we’ve seen the need for jobs that require coding knowledge (such as data engineering and software development positions) increase, and in some cases, double or even triple.[2] Proof of this increase in demand is the global increase in salaries for such positions, with studies in the United States showing that in some cases, companies end up engaging in bidding wars to lure the best personnel. This is only to be expected, given that global priorities are shifting. And this shift is happening now, right under our noses.
This is not something to fear. It is something that we, on the other hand, must embrace. But how do we adopt such a change? Well, changes must be embraced by adaptation. And adapting to this new scenario will take considerable differences, both when it comes to public investments that must be undertaken, as well as when it comes to education. First, schools should start to teach coding at an early age if the market demands it. Just like the market made it necessary for our children to learn communication and mathematical basics, it also shows us that coding knowledge will continue becoming paramount in the future. Those who do not know to code, will more likely than not, end up getting left behind.
What happens when a society doesn’t address primary concerns, one might ask? In such a situation, it is not irrational to think that serious tech companies and startups situated in Munich will continue finding it difficult to attract the necessary personnel. To solve this problem, companies will continue having to pay higher wages to potential employees who will have to move cities, and in some cases, countries. As already mentioned, the preceding salaries for data scientists, developers, and programmers are already very high. And therefore, Munich-based companies who find themselves having to pay more than Silicon Valley companies to attract the best personnel will find it challenging to remain competitive and profitable. This is something that must be addressed and fast.
There is no middle way. We can’t just leave things as they are and hope for the best. Others are not keeping everything up to chance, they’re acting, and so we must too.
Wolfsburg has a coding school, so does Heilbronn. Paris has one too, and so does Freemont, California. In other words, investing in a coding school is not a matter of choice. Instead, it is a matter of necessity. “Adapt or die,” as the saying goes.
Now I don’t know what the readers might think of this fact, but I, as a person who works in technology, sure don’t want to see this industry die, especially in my city. But, conversely, I want to make sure that this industry thrives here. I want to make sure that our youths gain the best opportunities in their home city. And that is why I’m proposing the setting up of a coding school in our Isar Valley.
Will this new school be the answer to all of our problems? No, it will not. As mentioned earlier, there needs to be a broader reform, starting at the very foundations of our educational system. Children and youths need to be taught that programming and coding are a part of who we are and that they’re also our future. However, while the opening of a coding school in Isar Valley is not the end of our problems, it is still very much a start. By opening this school, what Munich will be doing is telling Europe and the world that it understands modern dilemmas and stands ready to solve them.
Moreover, the opening of such a school would also increase our capacity to attract more businesses to Isar Valley and the city alike. This will, in turn, boost economic growth, allowing for a swift recovery from the pandemic slowdown. A chain reaction will then ascertain that even those directly related to Isar Valley and the deep tech industry reap the benefits. Last but not least, the demand for such a feature is already there. All that Munich needs to do is fill this demand by providing the necessary supply. Once this is done, it will only be a matter of time until the effects start to manifest themselves.
[1] E.g., https://www.bitsandpretzels.com/posts/exclusive-a-new-eu65-million-munich-fund-targets-deep-tech-startups
