Last week, the Amazon Future Engineer and Teach First partnership won in the ‘Charity partnership – Telecoms & Technology’ category at the Business Charity Awards 2022.
Amazon has worked with Teach First for the past three years, through Amazon Future Engineer, to support the recruitment and training of new computing teachers in schools serving some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country.
Research shows that the UK needs more computing teachers – and the current shortfall can result in both educational and economic inequality if young people leave school without in-demand digital skills. The Royal Society found that 54 per cent of secondary schools in England didn’t offer GCSE computer science, largely due to a lack of qualified teachers.
The Department for Education has also reported that recruitment for computer science teachers has fallen short by 25 per cent or more since 2015. In addition, research commissioned by Amazon from Capital Economics shows that the UK needs 21,000 more computer science graduates on average per year – or the economy could lose out on an estimated £33 billion per year by 2030.
Amazon and Teach First have recruited dozens of teachers in the last since years to help provide computing education to students in disadvantaged communities.
We see the impact of technology in every aspect of our lives and how it plays a major role both in our education and our economy. Digital skills are vital for some of the most rewarding roles in sectors such as media and entertainment, transportation, information technology, engineering and much more. Amazon is committed to creating more opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to access these exciting careers, starting with early education.
The partnership has had other notable milestones, such as when Amazon and Teach First worked together last year to donate 10,000 Fire Tablets to schools most in need during the pandemic, ensuring that more children across the UK have access to the technology for home schooling and learning in the long term.
Find out more about Amazon Future Engineer.
