Technocamps: a national outreach programme for digital upskilling

Technocamps is a pan-Wales outreach organisation, that digitally upskills children and adults across Wales, fully through the medium of English and Cymraeg. For over 20 years, they have been a recognisable outreach organisation across all of Wales, delivering over 5000 workshops and interacting with over 90,000 learners within the past decade. Along with its school outreach efforts, Technocamps is also responsible for running a Degree Apprenticeship program and freely accessible Microcredentials, allowing adults to upskill themselves digitally: either via a BSc in Software Engineering or via individual university modules. But how did Technocamps become an industry-leading outreach program, help transform a nation's computing curriculum, and provide a definitive experience for Welsh children? 

In this talk, the authors will discuss:

·         How and Why Technocamps was built

·         What major components are needed to create a national outreach program

·         The importance of bilingual outreach and intervention

·         What collaboration has brought to Technocamps

·         How the Technocamps model can be used for wider-spreading outreach

Speakers:

Dr Lee Clift is a Teaching Fellow at Swansea University, teaching in the BSc Applied Software Engineering Degree Apprenticeship program. He has a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Wolverhampton, an MSc in Advanced Computer Science from the University of Birmingham, and a PhD in Automated Aerospace Manufacturing via Robotics from the University of Sheffield. His research interests are focused on Computer Science Education, ranging from Primary and Secondary Outreach, to GenAI inclusion in Higher Education and Assessment.

Mr Luke Clement is the Operations Manager at Technocamps, Wale’s largest Computer Science outreach organisation. He holds an MPhys in Physics, a BSc in Applied Software Engineering from Swansea University, and a PGCE in Secondary School Education from Trinity St Davids, University of Wales. He is an experienced bilingual educator, with over a decade of experience teaching at all levels of compulsory education.