A UK engineering giant has teamed up with the Armed Forces to help teachers and students develop confidence with coding and robotics in the classroom.

Teachers from state schools are being invited to apply for a free STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational, called Coding Success, which is fully funded by BAE Systems, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.

The initiative, which has 600 places available for state schools, aims to help fuel the passion of young people aged between eight and 14 and encourage the next generation of scientists, engineers and technicians through curriculum-linked lesson plans and resources.

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Coding Success incorporates a virtual humanitarian mission on an isolated volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, where students must successfully code their robots as part of a fictitious earthquake response scenario, helping the injured and making fresh drinking water available.

Through hands-on learning, students will explore any problems that may arise and create exciting solutions through their code.

With digital skills playing a vital role in aiding economic recovery following Covid-19, demand for Artificial Intelligence, cloud and robotics skills is rocketing amongst businesses, but the number of young people taking IT subjects has dropped.

To help inspire future coders, computer scientists and software engineers, Coding Success is supporting schools to nurture talent and spark curiosity around the digital and technology sectors.

Developed in partnership with educational charity The Smallpeice Trust and Raising Robots, which is an authorised LEGO Education partner, the programme will provide teachers with tools to generate interest in STEM.

Richard Hamer, education and skills director at BAE Systems, said: “As the requirement for digital skills grows, coding is an increasingly important part of the curriculum."