A new scheme in East London that has won the backing of the
Mayor of London kicks off this month with the aim of exposing 60
young people from inner-London to the essential skills required to
participate in London's vibrant digital sector.
The initiative, known as Devcamp, will provide young people aged
13-18 years with the basic skills required to develop apps for the
web, smartphones and Facebook. Devcamp's aim is to engage
young people with the skills needed for success in the future
digital economy.
The scheme has been created by Rich Mix, an
East London arts centre that nurtures new and local talent in the
creative industries, and Seatwave.com, Europe's
leading ticket exchange and one of the UK's fastest growing digital
businesses.
Devcamp will provide up-to-the-minute training on software
development skills through a series of weeklong workshops to help
create real opportunities for young people. The launch comes
in the wake of the latest figures from the Office of National
Statistics that show nearly one million 16-24 year olds out of
work.
Joe Cohen, founder and chief executive of Seatwave.com, said:
"There has never been a more crucial time for business to back
young tech talent. We need to inspire and enable a new generation
of digital innovators in order to compete in the global
economy."
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said:
"London's role as digital capital of Europe is dependant upon our
future workforce having the skills innovative tech businesses need.
Initiatives such as Devcamp, supported by an array of London-based
digital businesses, provide a great model for how we can ensure the
young people of London are inspired and prepared to benefit from
the job opportunities of the future."
The programme is also being supported by industry partners
including Apps for Good, who work with UK tech and
creative industry experts to deliver app courses to young people.
Other supporters include Silicon Valley Bank,
Futureversity and a number of private
individuals.
Rich Mix Chief Executive Jane Earl said: "Devcamp is a great
example of how Rich Mix can support young people to develop their
skills and confidence to make the most out of their lives. This is
especially important in our local area, which has one of the
youngest communities in the UK with almost 40 percent of residents
under the age of 35."
The 60 young people taking part in Devcamp will have unique
opportunities to gain access to role models from within the
industry, receiving training delivered by experts and volunteers
from Facebook, Seatwave.com and many others.
Rich Mix would like to thank the Devcamp partners including
Futureversity, Joe Cohen and Seatwave.com, Apps for Good, Silicon
Valley Bank, Baskin Foundation and London and Partners.
For more information, visit www.richmix.org.uk/devcamp.
Press contacts
Seatwave
Charlotte Hastings, Charlotte.hastings@sevenhillsgroup.co.uk,
020 7199 2200
Alex Saggers, alex.saggers@sevenhillsgroup.co.uk
, 020 7199 2203
Rich Mix
Beth O'Connor, Rich Mix beth.oconnor@richmix.org.uk,
075 0874 1276/020 7613 7496
Mary Rahman, MRPR, mary@mr-pr.com, 020 7749 1136
LISTING INFORMATION
Learn to Build Your Own Smart Phone App in
partnership with Futureversity and Seatwave.com
Mon 25 - Fri 29 Jul / 11am - 5pm / 13 to 18 years /
Free
To book a place, sign up at www.futureversity.org
from Mon 20 Jun.
For more info, call 020 7247 7900.
Every wondered how the thousands of apps that we download onto
our smart phones every day are created? Would you like to learn how
to build your own app and then upload it to app stores around the
globe?
http://www.richmix.org.uk/education_learntobuildyourwonsmartphoneapp.htm
Learn to Build Your Own Facebook App in
partnership with Futureversity and Seatwave.com
Mon 1 - Fri 5 Aug / 11am - 5pm / 13 to 18 years /
Free
To book a place, sign up at www.futureversity.org
from Mon 20 Jun. For more info, call 020 7247
7900.
Do you enjoy installing the thousands of the fun Facebook apps
that are out there? Would you like to be able to build your own and
then send it to your friends or post it on your wall?
http://www.richmix.org.uk/education_learntobuildyourownfacebookapp.htm
Learn to Build Your Own Web App in
partnership with Futureversity and Seatwave
Mon 8 - Fri 12 Aug / 11am - 5pm / 13 to 18 years /
Free
To book a place, sign up at www.futureversity.org
from Mon 20 Jun. For more info, call 020 7247
7900.
Do you love surfing the web and want to learn more about
how to build and develop your own website? This course is for
budding coders and engineers who want to build their own web
applications.
http://www.richmix.org.uk/education_lerntobuildyourownwebapp.htm
NOTES TO EDITOR
Rich Mix
Located in the heart of East London, Rich Mix offers live music,
film, dance, theatre, comedy, spoken word and a range of creative
activities for people of all ages and all cultures. We are proud to
be an organisation where all profits go back to support our
education and community activities which nurture new and emerging
talent.
www.richmix.org.uk
Seatwave
Seatwave.com is Europe's leading online fan-to-fan ticket exchange
service offering tickets for concerts, theatre, sports and other
live events. Seatwave.com was founded by Joe Cohen, formerly of
Match.com and Ticketmaster, in May 2006 and began online trading in
February 2007.
www.seatwave.com
Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank provides commercial banking services to
emerging growth and mature companies in the technology, life
science, private equity and premium wine industries. Through its
focus on specialised markets and extensive knowledge of the people
and business issues driving them, Silicon Valley Bank provides a
level of service and partnership that measurably impacts its
clients' success. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara,
Calif., the company serves clients around the world through 26 U.S.
offices and five international operations. Silicon Valley Bank is a
member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group
(Nasdaq: SIVB), along with SVB Analytics, SVB Capital, SVB Global
and SVB Private Client Services. More information on the
company can be found at www.svb.com.
Futureversity
Futureversity believes all young people have the potential to be
extraordinary. We offer inspiring courses to 11-25 year olds to
develop the skills and self-belief they need to make the most of
their lives. We are youth led and not like any other organisation.
Dynamic, positive and unconventional, our charity has gained
recognition locally and nationally as a model of good practice in
the field of study support and out of school hours learning.
www.futureversity.org
Apps for Good
Apps for Good is an award-winning course where young people
learn to create imaginative mobile apps that change their world.
Apps for Good is the brainchild of non-profit organisation CDI
Europe supported by Dell YouthConnect and the Nominet Trust.
www.appsforgood.org