My favourite radio show is What She Said which broadcasts daily from 10:00 a.m. to noon on Sirius XM satellite radio Channel 167. I’m not able to catch it every day but when I do, there’s always something worthwhile to listen to while I’m in the car running errands. Boomer gals would love it and their guests always stimulate my imagination. The other day Christine Bentley made a comment that resonated with me. During a discussion about the tech world and jobs for young people, she suggested everyone should learn how to write computer code and she was so bang-on I made a note to remind you, my readers, about it.

When I was still in the business world, computer software was developing and growing (and still is) faster than the flab around our middles.  Corporate resources were limited and programmers were not only too busy all the time, but difficult to find in the freelance market. Many tweaks that are required to existing software are not complicated and if you have basic knowledge of code, it’s possible to make changes yourself. Unless you’re me. I’m not a linear thinker. Maths and sciences were curses during my high school years and I envied those individuals (like my friend Brenda) who “got it” and could easily breeze through the equations to the correct conclusion.

Perhaps if basic coding were taught in schools, more people, both boys and girls would be able to work with code and build a career around software development. Last August I wrote about the importance of this skill (click here for Both my Left and Right Brain say go for it). As Christine Bentley said, software developers are in short supply; they can work wherever they want in whatever industry they want; they can name their price (supply and demand); they will never have to worry about being unemployed. Even if you’re not a full-time developer, having the skills makes the tech world infinitely easier to navigate every single day of your personal and business life. I failed the challenge, got kicked off the island and now I’m drifting around on a rudderless raft. Make sure any young people you know do not make the same mistake. So, I’m saying it again. Raise your daughters and sons to be coders. The next Mark Zuckerberg, Candy Crush or Angry Bird developer could be someone you know and if you’re nice to them, maybe they’ll pay for your upgrade to a private room in “the home”. I’d call that a good investment.