Could “braided careers” solve Scotland’s computer science teaching crisis? Guest blog by Mary Porter, Chief of Staff, KPE4 Charitable Trust

For almost two decades, the number of computer science teachers in Scotland has been in decline. As a result, today’s high school pupils struggle to access high-quality computer science teaching.  In turn, this means fewer pupils develop the interest, confidence and qualifications needed to pursue the subject further. With fewer computer science graduates, there will be a shortage of home-grown talent and a costly challenge for Scottish companies to compete globally.

While AI can automate many routine coding tasks, the need for human oversight, complex system design and the ability to build and maintain AI systems means the demand for technical roles remains high.  It is therefore essential Scotland attracts more computer science graduates to careers in the classroom.

The decline in computer science teachers is now reaching a crisis point with retirement looming for 20% of current computing science teachers, while fewer people are signing up.  In 2025-26, just 16 people accepted places on PDGE Computing Science programmes, against a national target of 52, and of these, only a small number will make it to become long-term teaching staff.

Teaching computer science is a tough sell for several reasons; the pay gap between teaching and industry roles makes it an unrealistic option for many, regardless of motivation. For others, there is a concern that moving to teaching could mean technical skills become outdated or that they might lose professional respect and status compared with industry roles.  Added to this is the negative media coverage around teaching — particularly during and after Covid — which damaged perceptions of workload, wellbeing and support.

Retention is also an issue.  While 66 Secondary schools have no dedicated computer science teacher (affecting 1 in 8 Secondary pupils), in schools that do, there is often only one, leading  to professional isolation.

However, an innovative new collaboration between University of Glasgow, KPE4 Charitable Trust and Skyscanner is piloting a different model; the braided career.

In this model, individuals work across education and industry sectors simultaneously.  Not only does this mean the salary gap is reduced, but they also benefit from career opportunities in both roles, greater variety and less isolation. Fresh technical skills are maintained, also benefitting pupils who gain from teaching that draws on rich, real-life experience.

Crucially, it reframes teaching as a complementary and equally valuable strand of a professional career.

The pilot began in August 2025 with a one-year, full-time PDGE Computing Science programme followed by a two-year probationary teaching post two days a week at a local authority school, while working at Skyscanner for three days a week.

An evidence-based approach assessing the pilot will be undertaken to determine whether braided careers can be an effective solution for meeting teaching needs.  If successful, the model could be replicated for other critically low teaching subjects, such as maths and physics, potentially transforming the education sector and laying the foundations for a strong Scottish economy.

If we want a strong economy tomorrow, we need to change our approach today.