computer
Free programming school “42 Berlin” opened
There are no teachers or lecturers, no “frontal teaching” and no age restrictions (icon image). photo
© Marijan Murat/dpa
The lack of good programmers is now slowing down many companies in Germany. Volkswagen, SAP, Microsoft and other corporations are now breaking new ground in training with an unusual concept.
The free programming school “42 Berlin”, funded by German industry with millions, has been opened. The campus in Berlin’s Neukölln district is part of an international network that has set itself the goal of doing something about the blatant shortage of skilled workers in the IT industry.
At the same time, the network also wants to address students with a wide variety of personal backgrounds and thus significantly diversify the group of students. “42 Berlin” is supported by the Volkswagen Group, Bayer, SAP, Microsoft, Deutsche Telekom and Capgemini, among others.
School works with an unusual concept
There are no teachers or lecturers, no “frontal teaching” and no age restrictions. The course is organized more like a computer game in which different levels are reached. The concept relies on the students working in study groups. They had to face an application process with logic tests and a training camp lasting several weeks.
At the opening, Digital Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) emphasized that Germany must create attractive offers for IT talent. “We have to arouse interest and support our young IT talent in order to fully exploit the potential of technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and quantum computing. The Coding Academy 42 Berlin is an important contribution to counteracting the shortage of skilled workers.”
The programming school implements the “42” concept of a private, non-profit and tuition-free IT school developed by French entrepreneur Xavier Niel. Worldwide, 36 more of these training centers in 20 countries work according to the learning concept. With the support of Volkswagen, the training company “42 Wolfsburg” started in May.
“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
According to the digital association Bitkom, the need for trained IT specialists in Germany remained high during the Corona crisis, with over 137,000 unfilled positions. The “42” schools cannot meet this need alone. Around 150 applicants are accepted every year in Wolfsburg and Berlin, so that up to 600 students can study there.
The name “42” is a homage to the book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by British author Douglas Adams. The number is the answer to the question about the meaning of life.