Building Futures, Bot by Bot: Inspiring tomorrow’s talent through technology
Deloitte Netherlands is helping to close the digital divide by teaching children about automation technology – growing their confidence and showing them that any career is possible.
This project has been recognised through the Deloitte NSE Impact Awards, an internal recognition programme which celebrates the impact our people and teams make on clients, people and society.
Recognising the possibility of technology
When visiting local schools, the Tax and Technology team at Deloitte Netherlands discovered a technology and digital skills gap in underprivileged areas compared to more affluent neighbourhoods. To rectify this imbalance, the Building Bots with Kids programme was born. What started with a couple of laptops and some LEGO® bricks has snowballed into weekly courses, reaching over 1000 children and growing.
Building Bots with Kids educates young people aged between 10 and 15 on simple software, teaching them how to think laterally to create processes. Using robotics, software and laptops to teach systematic and critical thinking, the sessions are designed to be practical and dynamic. They build an awareness of the role of automation, featuring relatable examples from everyday life – like setting an alarm – to programming a game themselves.
“We started going into schools thinking ‘let’s see what happens. Then the schools started talking to each other and asking if we could come back to deliver more sessions”.
“The children are really excited about what they’re doing, it's completely new and they immediately see how it can help them.”
Thom Retra, Tax Technology Consultant, Deloitte Netherlands.
Bridging the gap
The programme was popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made teaching more difficult. But the Deloitte team knew that the real difficulty would come when children returned to school and the demand for the programme would quickly become too much to handle, so they needed to expand – and fast.
The team contacted organisations such as Campus Nederland Foundation and Studiezalen Foundation, which work with young people in underprivileged areas across Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Eindhoven. And “that's when it really started to fly,” Thom recalls.
Applications came flooding in from schools and organisations, and a pool of 80 Deloitte people were trained to teach, meaning the team was soon delivering classes every week.
Creating a lasting impact
After one of the sessions teaching automation and programming, a conversation with one of the students – a 14-year-old Afghan refugee – confirmed to Thom Retra he was making a difference.
The teenager told him how he would use the skills he'd learnt to help his father process his invoices more efficiently.
"Hearing that my teaching on automation and programming was having a real-world impact. For me that was the most significant feedback," Thom recalls.
The teenager helping with his dad’s invoices motivated Thom to expand the learning project to reach older children and young adults. Now armed with a full curriculum, tools and new kit, the team is fully equipped to teach their growing audience. The programme now also organises classes for children with special educational needs.
Knowing he’s inspiring children to dream about their future and see that anything is possible makes Thom feel fulfilled. He adds: “When I've delivered a session, the next day at work I open my laptop and I feel like I have contributed to society in a positive way.”
