Bletchley Park launches initiative
06 September 2011
Continuing from the last newsletter’s theme about encouraging technology in young people, I was encouraged by the news I received this week from Bletchley Park.
It was all about a new initiative that has been launched by trust patron, Jason Gorman. His Teacher-Practitioner Exchange pilot programme will aim to connect schoolteachers who want to learn how to program with experienced volunteer software developers who can coach them. The pilot programme will start in late September and run until June 2012, after which talks may begin to scale it up under the auspices of Computing at Schools (CAS) and the British Computer Society (BCS).
Gorman stated at the launch that the timing of the initiative was perfect, with Google CEO Eric Schmidt criticising the lack of technical innovation in the UK in his MacTaggart lecture in Edinburgh. The greater media attention will help initiatives like this gain momentum.
I know this news mainly focuses on the IT side of programming, but with software making up an increasingly larger share of electronics design, it could be an opportunity for embedded software professionals to donate some free time to encourage interest in the field from younger people. The more teachers passing on an interest in programming to youngsters the better!
Industry colossus passes on
Also from Bletchley Park is some sad news. One of the founders of the Bletchley Park Trust and the mastermind behind the successful re-build of Colossus, the world’s first operational computer, Tony Sale, has died.
Tony recognised the importance of saving Bletchley Park at a time when its true historic relevance was not fully understood. The re-building of Colossus was a monumental challenge involving much research and a solid understanding of very advanced mathematics, as well as the engineering skills to assemble such a complex machine.
He was part of a small team that started the campaign for Bletchley Park and ultimately saved it for the nation. He dedicated his long retirement almost entirely to his work at the Trust and subsequently as part National Museum of Computing based at Bletchley Park.
DSEi
The people behind National Electronics week and Clarion Events will launch a pavilion at the Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEi) specifically for the electronics industry. DSEi is held from 13–16 September in London’s ExCel.
The International Electronics Pavilion will cover a total of 200m2 and will open up the exhibition to a wider audience, both from a supplier perspective and also from a visitor perspective by attracting those involved in electronics product specification, engineering and design.
DSEi should provide an excellent opportunity, whether you intend to exhibit or just visit to keep up with trends and gain information. With EPD being an official media sponsor of DSEi, I and other members of the team will be there. It would be great to meet up with any readers attending the exhibition to hear your thoughts.
You can get in touch, or tell me what you think of any subject in the newsletter, or on the industry in general at: alistair.winning@imlgroup.co.uk or via Twitter on: @EPDNewsdesk.
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