When you look at how the world is developing, coding is a beneficial skill to possess. An increasing number of businesses rely heavily on software and coding, and these are not those companies operating only in technology and engineering.
Anyone who learns how to code will have the advantage of attracting more employment opportunities within several industries, including the technology sector, finance, retail, and health.
Acquiring coding skills is essential not only for those who want to have a career in IT or engineering. With the current pandemic situation, more and more businesses are forced to move online. Knowing how to take advantage of e-commerce (including website development and digital marketing) is quintessential to ensure your business survives.
Nowadays, learning a programming language has become as important as learning any other human language – and this applies to all demographics – children and adults alike. MCAST offers many courses that are suitable for students of all ages. Other courses that are more targeted to beginners introduce learners to coding and other courses that are more appropriate to advanced students.
Is a career in software development worth it?
There are many examples of professional people who switched to software development, and it is never too late to learn software skills. Nowadays, you can participate in a software coding Bootcamp, such as those delivered by MCAST, to develop your skills from scratch.
Considering a career in software development can bring several advantages.
Bring your ideas to life
Coding gives you the ability to transfer your ideas into tangible software solutions. We see several technology entrepreneurs who want to solve a real-world problem or bring their innovative idea to life by building a software solution.
For example, Mark Zuckerberg wanted to make it easy for campus students to communicate together, so he created Facebook. Melanie Perkins wanted to make it easy for everyone without any creative background to easily build professional quality designs, so she created Canva. Both of these tech founders used programming to build solutions that have helped millions of people worldwide.
Job security
There is always a demand for software programming jobs – both in Malta and around the world. Being a programmer is not a profession that will fade away like other manual jobs that have been replaced by machines and software automation. People who have been redundant can learn a programming language to rejoin the labour market.
Different industries
Unlike other professions, being a software developer allows you to work in a myriad of industries. This is because the skills are easily transferrable from one industry to another.
In contrast to other professions, software developers can work in technology firms, financial institutions, telecommunication sectors, creative shops, health, governmental sectors, and practically anywhere else where there are data and digitisation.
Money
Software development jobs are among the highest paid jobs in the market. This comes as no surprise as the demand for software developers is constantly increasing. Specific software development streams within emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security and Big Data are even more lucrative.
The future of ICT in Malta
Malta ranks highly among the European Union leaders in terms of technology specialists. Seven per cent of all Maltese graduates choose technology. Although Malta is at the forefront of producing skills for the technology sector, it is still not enough, and the demand from the industry is not being met.
When it comes to the digital economy, Malta continued to grow year after year. In 2020, Malta achieved its best ranking yet within all European Union countries, having placed fifth in the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). The 2020 DESI report states that Malta records good scores on human capital, mainly because of the high share of ICT specialists and ICT graduates, while also the involvement of women in the digital sector is gradually increasing.
This means that investing your time to learn a new programming skill is a good investment, whether it is for your personal or professional development.
Top technologies to learn
With so many technologies and programming languages available, one must understand where to invest their time. And while this is not an exhaustive list, these are some languages that can get you started based on your career goals:
Web and mobile development
One of the largest markets in software development jobs is web and mobile applications development. The most popular programming language within this field is JavaScript. JavaScript comes typically in a number of frameworks such as Angular.JS, React.JS, Vue.JS, among others.
These frameworks allow developers to build their solution on the web and mobile platforms, making JavaScript one of the most powerful languages that powers modern Internet applications.
Emerging technologies
If you are looking into a career in emerging technologies such as Machine Learning, Big Data, Cloud Programming, Data Science and similar fields, you should consider learning either Java or Python.
Both Java and Python are increasingly popular and the language of choice for most enterprise developers. A good strategy is to look at what vacancies are being advertised and have a more informed decision based on the industry of choice.
Game and AR development
Game and Augmented Reality development are quickly becoming a lucrative global market, even in countries like Malta, where many iGaming firms are constantly looking for game developers. While the AR market is still considered an emerging technologies, several industries are already using it for EdTech, engineering and architecture.
One of the most popular programming languages used for Game and AR development is Unity. Unity is, in fact, behind 50 per cent of the current mobile games that are currently available.
How MCAST is shaping the future in the tech domain
The ICT Institute within MCAST aims to be at the forefront of technology education and make sure all the courses are aligned with the industry needs.
MCAST delivers part-time Coding Bootcamps that promise a Zero to Hero approach to learn the most popular programming language. MCAST is the only institute in Malta that offers top-level coding education for all levels (beginners to advanced) at affordable prices. MCAST also rganizes Hackathons and Code Week events to promote ICT education in Malta and abroad.
For more details, please visit https://iict.mcast.edu.mt/.
Inġ. James Attard is deputy director at the Institute for Information and Communication Technology at the Malta College for Arts Science and Technology (MCAST)