Getting tuned in with young talent

Aug 5 2010 by John Hill, The Journal

A CARTOON commissioned by Sunderland Software City aims to lure 11 to 17-year-olds into a career in software.

The six-minute piece of animation has been placed on Youtube to highlight the options available to those that head down this route – in such as involvement with films, sport, computer games, music and fashion.

Sunderland Software City chief executive Bernie Callaghan said: “If the local software industry is going to continue its recent expansion we’re going to have to keep growing that talent pool, but we know a lot of young people are put off even thinking about a career in software because they think it has nothing to do with the things that interest them and it’s not somewhere people like them work.

“That couldn’t be further from the truth, and we thought an animated film would be an appealing and relevant way to set the record straight.”

Companies such as Mere Mortals, 4Projects, Isherwoods and Sonodrome featured in the film, which was produced by Gateshead animation studio Kuro Dragon in partnership with Yourfilm and sound specialists Mudshark Audio.

Sonodrome’s Kat Pattison said: “There’s a load of misconceptions about what it’s like working in software and even what the people who work in software are like, and we were really excited about getting involved in a project which would get young people thinking differently about the sector and even about making a career here.”