Computer programming and getting started in learning how to code is the foundation of the technology obsessed 21st Century . The idea that everyone should learn the basics of computers and programming is becoming more widespread, as more employers and government officials lobby the importance of teaching code in schools across the world. In the UK, coding will become part of the national curriculum for children aged 5 to 16, starting from September 2014. Coding is not just for the future generations. With an ever-growing number of companies looking to develop their online presence; learning to code can your increase job prospects. Web and app developers are in demand now more than ever; every 60 seconds 571 web pages go online. These technical skills should no longer be thought of as exclusive to the IT experts as graphic designers, data analysts and marketing professionals are all seeing the benefits of understanding code as their job roles expand. “Nearly 60% of people think computer coding is an important skill for today’s job market”. Statistics like these, will continue to rise as technology becomes even more integral to our everyday lives; we can expect computer literacy and understanding of code to become a key skill in more job sectors. The next is step is to know how to start coding so you can start to develop your own website or mobile app. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources available online that help you to learn to code with large, active communities to assist when you get stuck.

1. Codecademy, a great resource for beginners, they offer free interactive courses for a range of programming languages including HTML 5, Java, Python and Ruby. The interactivity of the courses is a key feature as they analyse your code and give hints as to where you’ve made mistakes. With over 24 million users, Codecademy is one of the most popular for aspiring programmers.

2. MIT OpenCourseware offers free online course material, including computer science and programming. Learn from one of the world’s most recognised Universities, without the student fees.

3. Learn Python the Hard Way, offers a free PDF to get you started with learning the Python Language. The ‘Hard Way’ simply insinuates that there are no shortcuts in this course; practice makes perfect.  Accompanying tutorial videos, can be purchased for $29.95.

4. Khan Academy, the non-profit educational organisation, is probably best known for its tutorials in mathematics, but it also provides a free computer programming course.

5. Udacity, offers free access to exercise and related videos for computing courses. For a fee of $150 a month you can enrol on the course to receive personal guidance from a coach, extra projects and a verified certificate at the end of the course. Courses have been developed by Google, San Jose State University among others.

Learning how to code or mastering a computer programming language can be done by anyone, self-taught for free or with personal assistance for a nominal fee. It could be the most important second language you’ll learn.