Over Half of US College Students Consider Coding Skills Vital as Foreign Language Skills for Future Career Prospects | Nation/World

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–February 17, 2022–

As digital technologies continue to disrupt and transform every industry on the planet, more than half of US college students (58%) believe coding skills are equally or more valuable than foreign language skills to their prospects. careers.

A study commissioned by KX, one of the world’s leading providers of real-time data management and analytics software, shows that among college students aged 16 to 23, more than 45% of U.S. college students can currently code or learn at least one coding language. 35% already believe that the ability to code is an essential skill in life.

Looking more broadly at the importance of data processing and analytical skills, 42% of US college students have taken or plan to take a data analytics or data science course, while 30% say the same for computer intelligence.

Despite the growing importance and popularity of coding, 35% of US college students who currently can’t code say the biggest barrier preventing them from learning is that coding isn’t taught at their school, underscoring the need to focus more on digital skills within the education system. According to the Coursera Global Skills Report 2021, the United States currently ranks 35th out of 100 in data science and 30th in technology skills.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report estimates that 97 million new digital jobs will be created globally by 2025. According to a recent update to IDC’s Global Digital Transformation Spend Guide, global spending on digital transformation of business practices, products, and organizations is expected to reach $2.8 trillion in 2025, with approximately one-third of all digital transformation spending in the United States.

“It’s encouraging to see that American students consider coding and data analysis skills to be important for their future career success,” said Kathy Schneider, chief marketing officer at KX. “With the continued digitization of nearly every industry, these skills will be fundamental to the growth and development of individuals and economies. However, the education system seems to be catching up when it comes to aligning learning and curricula with the demands of modern work. Companies have a role to play here by partnering with educational institutions and investing in training to help new hires gain the skills they need to succeed.

KX’s survey results confirm the findings of a recent Glassdoor study which showed that Java Developers, Data Scientists, and DevOps Engineers are among the best jobs in the United States based on job satisfaction of employees, median annual base salary, and number of current job openings in the given role.

“The ability to understand and apply data through code is not only an important life skill, it’s also critical for future savings,” said Daniel Baker, Evangelism Manager, KX. “Regardless of the language, coding offers many tangible benefits and builds transferable skills that develop a problem-solving mindset. We have a responsibility to create a sufficient pipeline in schools and universities, challenging governments and education bodies to modernize curricula and ensure career guidance matches industry needs . Employers must also adapt and create a culture of continuous learning.

When asked how learning a coding language compares to learning a foreign language in terms of improving career prospects, 39% say speaking a foreign language and having computer programming skills are equally valuable to their careers, 30% say foreign languages ​​are more important and 18% say coding. Only 6% think neither is important.

The top drivers for learning to code in the US are that it provides better job opportunities (74%) and higher salaries (66%). Conversely, students who study foreign languages ​​do so to gain confidence when traveling (70%) and to learn about other cultures (69%).

Despite the common belief that a small percentage of the US population can speak a second language, 59% of students say they already speak one or more languages ​​and more than two-thirds (69%) say they plan to learn one. one, whether for the first time or to add another language to their CV.

Research methodology

2,000 continuing education students aged 16-23 were surveyed in January 2022. 1,000 in the US and 1,000 in the UK.

About KX

KX, the leading technology for real-time data analytics and business intelligence, is part of FD Technologies plc (FDP.L), a group of data-driven companies that unlock the value of insight, hindsight and foresight to move organizations forward. KX Streaming Analytics, based on the kdb+ time-series database, is an industry-leading high-performance in-memory computing, stream analytics and operational intelligence platform. It delivers the best possible performance and flexibility for high-volume, data-intensive analytics and applications across many industries.

The Group operates from 15 offices in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, and employs over 3,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.kx.com.

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CONTACT: Brent Bucci

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KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK

KEYWORD INDUSTRY: UNIVERSITY DATA MANAGEMENT PRIMARY/SECONDARY EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OTHER TECHNOLOGIES TRAINING SOFTWARE INTERNET HUMAN RESOURCES

SOURCE: KX

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PUBLISHED: 02/17/2022 12:00 PM / DISK: 02/17/2022 12:02 PM

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220217005314/en

Copyright BusinessWire 2022.