The kids coding schools taking over the boroughs
US-born kids coding school, Code Ninjas, landed on UK shores last spring. Despite the obvious limitations caused by the pandemic, over the course of 2020, the brand has launched or planned locations in Pinner, Enfield, Colindale, Kenton, Croydon, Isleworth, Putney, Wimbledon, Kensington, North Finchley and Teddington. On Saturday 16th January, the latest location opens its doors in Hammersmith.
The majority of these locations are owned and run by former digital technology, finance or corporate executives who see the value in bringing quality coding education to their own communities. Most are parents themselves and, after a search for a coding school for their own children came up short, they decided to launch their own and provide a resource that was much needed in their area.
Married couple, Nick Susta and Carmen Siciliano, who have two children aged 12 and six, will open their Code Ninjas school in East London in early 2021. They decided to invest in a Code Ninjas franchise after researching opportunities that would combine Nick’s background in business operations and the couple’s shared passion for children’s coding education.
“I’ve worked in corporate finance since moving to the UK from Italy 20 years ago,” explained Nick. “In the last couple of years, I found myself looking for long-term investment opportunities that would mean I could work for myself, rather than large-scale international banking groups. As working parents, both Carmen and I see such value in the benefits of equipping children with the necessary skills to thrive in a digital world. Code Ninjas was the perfect solution. Joining them in their mission of becoming the number one kids coding provider across the UK was a no-brainer for us.”
Nick and Carmen hope to become valued entrepreneurs in their community, by running a programme that fulfils the growing need for digital literacy.
“If this year has taught us anything, it’s that digital technology sits at the core of so many households - whether that’s parents trying to keep their children engaged and occupied, young professionals working from home, or the elderly trying to maintain contact with loved ones. Teaching children in our own community to navigate and create digital systems confidently - whilst also having fun! - is going to be so rewarding for us both,” added Carmen.
Nick and Carmen join Code Ninjas during what is proving to be an exciting period of innovation and change. Despite the short-term postponement of the launches of the first few UK locations, students are now enrolled in the brand’s programmes at coding schools across Greater London, Hertfordshire and Hampshire.
Justin Nihiser, who joined Code Ninjas as CEO in August, is proud to witness such rapid growth on British soil during a year which has brought such economic challenges across the nations.
“I’ve been at the helm of Code Ninjas for less than five months and, in that time, I’ve seen such promise from the new cohort of franchisees that have joined our international network. With an abundance of UK-born tech brands running operations from London headquarters, it’s exciting to see so many of our locations launching in key boroughs across Greater London. My hope for 2021 and beyond is to encourage young coding talent from across the region to explore their love of tech now, with the potential for them to join forces with these UK tech brands in the future. All the best to the team at Code Ninjas Hammersmith for their launch in January – they lead the second tranche of studios to open in Greater London,” said Justin.
For more information about Code Ninjas or to learn more about franchising opportunities, visit www.codeninjasfranchise.co.uk
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