Computing not for girls? Not true, says Staffordshire coding whizz Kamani
The appointment of record numbers of women ministers in Labour’s new government shows the progress being made in equality in the UK workforce. However, a recent study reports a massive decline of girls in England taking computing GCSE’s. One Staffordshire woman aims to reverse the trend, bringing fun coding courses to youngsters, either online or in person – and they’re affordable for everyone!
Multiple award winner Kamani Puswella from Stoke, who holds MSc’s in both Multimedia and Entrepreneurship, wants to give back to her community the skills that she uses daily in her business.
Kamani says she makes computing accessible by also making it fun: “Since launching our Pixel Academy courses in 2023 and with the fantastic support of Staffordshire and Keele Universities, we’ve already helped hundreds of keen young coders - both boys and girls - to develop computing skills in a creative and engaging way.”
Kam’s mission is to help get kids of 6-16 years old ready for a successful future by not only teaching them to code, but also by developing broader skills such as creativity, communication, teamwork and problem-solving. Pixel Academy’s curriculum aligns perfectly with the government’s desire to see education become cross-curricular, rather than simply subject-based.
Kam has been coding since she was 16 years old, and understands but rejects the idea that coding is a ‘boy’s job’.
“The keyboard doesn’t care who is pressing the keys!” she said. “It’s not magic, it’s accessible to all, and can lead to well-paid jobs across all industries – including gaming and AI!”
Seeing girls’ talent for computing at first hand and with daughters of her own, Kamani is leading by example as she has expanded her business into website development and computer graphic design, with teams in the UK and Sri Lanka, her birthplace.
Kamani is currently assisted by three Keele University students who work with her on Social Media Marketing, Content Creation and Website Development, providing high-quality upskilling and work experience for the students, plus insight and originality for Kamani and her international team.
Other Keele students have had work experience placements, enhancing their skills, confidence and CV’s.
Needing no specialist equipment, Kamani’s Pixel Academy courses can be explored at webpixel.uk/pixel-academy - a website Kamani built herself!
By Dan Shillabeer - Contributor
