CeBIT Australia to feature Atlassian Code Lab

The Atlassian Code Lab will be a star feature at CeBIT Australia 2018.

It will be run by Atlassian experts, enabling attendees to learn the basics of coding, working from Google’s CS-First curriculum — which uses the block coding language Scratch — to conditional statements, loops and events.

The Code Lab will be open for all attendees, and classes are designed for participants with limited coding experience.

Additionally, in an exclusive event for CeBIT Australia 2018 attendees, Mike Cannon-Brookes, Atlassian Co-Founder and Co-CEO, will lead a VIP ‘how to code’ class on 15 May. A limited number of attendees at CeBIT Australia 2018 will have the chance to learn from Australia’s ‘tech master’ himself, with more details announced shortly.

One of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, Mike Cannon-Brookes, is an advocate for a greater emphasis on STEM education in Australian schools.

“Technology is already the biggest industry in the world, and if we want to maintain and grow our slice of that pie we need to increase investment in STEM education at all levels,” he said.

“Every single company is becoming — or already is — a software company. Which means more and more jobs are becoming technology jobs. We need more graduates with technology skills in almost every discipline, from computer science to medicine, to help us become a leading innovation nation.”

According to a recent study by Deloitte, by the year 2030, Australian workers will spend 77% more time using science and mathematical skills.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Skills John Barilaro said NSW success stories, such as Atlassian, perfectly demonstrate the incredible opportunities available to young people with the right skills.

“As Minister for Skills and Small Business I want to do all I can to encourage more people and business owners to embrace the idea of upskilling, especially in the areas of science, technology and engineering, because we know that’s where so many jobs of the future will be,” he said.

“The Atlassian Code Lab at CeBIT Australia will be a fantastic platform to promote the importance of skills, including coding, that today’s jobseekers will need to compete in our growing digital economy.”

A volunteer initiative of the Atlassian employees, which is focused on teaching students aged 8–12 (as well as teachers) the basics of code using Google CS First involves staff visiting schools across NSW, as part of a program called Comp Sci Kids.

The Atlassian Code Lab classes will each be one hour long, on the show floor at CeBIT Australia 2018, with three classes on Tuesday, 15 May, and four classes on both Wednesday, 16 and Thursday, 17 May. Coding class allocations will be available for attendees who register before 1 May 2018.

CeBIT Australia, the largest and longest running business technology conference in the Asia–Pacific, will take place 15–17 May 2018 at International Convention Centre Sydney, Darling Harbour.

Image caption: Mike Cannon-Brookes, Atlassian Co-Founder and Co-CEO​​.

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