bpTT’s Coding Academy has added a level to its programme, offering more advanced training to those students who have been progressing through the academy.
Launched in September 2023 and delivered by Education Solution Specialists Limited (ESSL), the bpTT Coding Academy is a structured, multi-level coding programme with classes running during the regular school year on Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays at the Mayaro Resource Centre. The programme imparts firsthand exposure to programming using industry-relevant tools and platforms.
Over 80 primary and secondary students from Mayaro and environs are currently enrolled in the academy. The academy launched its ‘Innovators’ level for advanced students last September, adding to the beginner and intermediate levels referred to Explorers and Builders.
Explaining their support for the programme was Karissa Bissoon, Vice President – Communications and External Affairs, bpTT, “We see digital skills as an enabler for the future. This coding programme is designed to equip students with practical, future‑ready skills that solve real world problems, inspire confidence and build capability. By investing in this kind of hands‑on learning, we are empowering the next generation for the digital world that we currently exist in.”
For advanced ‘innovator’, student Royanna Lawrence of Rio Claro East Secondary, this Academy is a fast-track for success: “My first exposure to coding was at the bpTT vacation camps four years ago and now I am at the advanced level. This training has been a tremendous advantage to me in so many ways, including helping me with Information Technology classes. This training will play a huge part in my plans for an intended dual career as a stenographer and software engineer specialising in app development.”
This long-term and structured approach follows the delivery of the ‘Cracking the Code’ July-August
vacations camps started in Mayaro in 2021 by bpTT. The camps, also developed and delivered by ESSL, saw students benefit from exposure to the fundamentals of coding mixed with STEAM concepts.
The current structured approach delivered by the Academy methodically guides students to the advanced stage where they are exposed to aspects of software engineering including game development, web development, database design, mobile app development, AI chatbot development and robotics.
As part of a long-term plan to ensure that the community imparts its unique identity and has ownership of the programme, two Mayaro-born educators are delivering the classes: programme coordinator, Neil Ramlal, and accomplished software engineer, Jimmel Greer, who is the lead instructor.
Ramlal, has been a teacher at the Mayaro Government Primary School for 30 years, having even taught Greer himself. The experienced educator noted, “I am proud that the students of Mayaro receive this unique privilege, and they are repaying it with their brilliance and insight. This is no longer about ‘the future’ – we are preparing these young leaders for the innovative careers of today. They are taking this knowledge and delivering ideas to transform their lives and the community we share. These are exciting times for the future of Mayaro.”
Greer explained that his involvement stemmed from a desire to use this pathway to share his knowledge with young minds from the community. Greer emphasised that the Academy was providing a meaningful academic bridge; preparing students for the programming and problem-solving demands of university level computer science courses.
For 18-year-old Francis Phillip, who is currently pursuing the Information Technology Network Specialist course at the NESC Technical Institute, this is a life-changing experience. “I was always interested in game development, so I started learning coding on my own. When I saw the coding camps offered years ago, I jumped at the chance and never looked back. Through this Academy, I have been given a strong grasp of fundamental skills that will take me to a degree in Computer Science, and then towards an eventual career as a software engineer. Ultimately, I see myself teaching future generations of Coding Academy students right here in Mayaro,” Phillip explained.
