How do we make the next generation of leaders, better? Let them have fun.

The floors been laid. The walls have been painted. And the first 3D printers are in. Last week we had our first bunch of critics, it was daunting, but every one of the fifty or so discerning 8 to 13 year olds that swung through our doors this half term, absolutely loved it.

The Brighton Makerlab is the regions first space dedicated to teaching people how to create with technology, or in other words, how to build cool stuff. With sessions in robotics, game design and electronics, the space uses tools like 3D printers, Occulus Rift and Minecraft to bring the sessions to life.

While coding has never been more important to learn, the soft skills that come about from simply making something as part of a team are invaluable. Its not enough to just teach someone how to code, you need to give them a context, a challenge, something that engages them in the process and gets them working collaboratively. These are exactly the skills needed for the next set of leaders and facilitators, the type of awesome people that your business is desperate for.

Silicon Beach Party

For a rising tech hub like Brighton, the next generation are particularly pressing, retaining talent in the city as well as training up the old guard are equally important, and centres like the Brighton Makerlab have an important part in developing skills early or making technology something that isn’t so terrifying.

There are already a number of fantastic initiatives that if you haven’t tried, you really should. There’s Codebar, a non-threatening coding session for under represented groups in tech such as a little group I like to call, women! You should also put Coder Dojo and Exploring senses on your radar, both amazing for kids and each teaching not just coding and tech skills, but creativity and expression – the kind of things that make your average developer, exceptional.

Feeling comfortable with emerging technologies and their use, makes for happier, more creative and capable human beings. It simply works – so if you’ve never tried building a cardboard light up robot, or explored a 3D world in virtual reality, maybe now’s the time to start.

Join Us

The Brighton Makerlab opens on the 30th March, but we’re launching the space on the 25th February with mini-workshops from some of our providers and a bit of networking. We’d love to see you there – please RSVP here.