A NORTH-EAST university is to become the first in the region to offer a new teaching qualification aimed at creating a generation of technology-savvy employees.

From September 2013 a Computer Science PGCE is to be offered to trainee teachers at Sunderland University to help ensure school children have the necessary skills to make it in the 21st century world of work.

The University has been granted 25 places to begin the one year course.

It will be the first year that the course is available as the subject is being introduced to the school curriculum to replace ICT.

Last year the Education Secretary Michael Gove slammed the current subject as "demotivating and dull" and set up a consultation on how to replace it. He said he wanted to introduce a course to create young people who are "able to work at the forefront of technological change". He added that the "inadequate grounding in computing offered by the current curriculum was in danger of damaging Britain's economic prospects", and that the new subject could be "vital in our success in the global race".

Students who graduate from university with at least a 2:1 degree will also be eligible for a £20,000 scholarship.

The introduction of Computer Science has been applauded by companies such as Microsoft and Google and will be integral in making sure that children in schools have the necessary skills to work at the highest level.

The news that the course is to be taught in the city has been welcomed by the Sunderland Software City (SSC), the regional initiative that supports and drives the growth of the North-East software industry.

David Dunn, SSC Chief Executive, said: "This is welcome news for both young people in the North-East and local businesses alike.

"North-East software will only continue to grow if enough local talent is available to sustain and support the industry. Initiatives which help children learn and appreciate the importance of software and technology are to be commended.

"Young people are the future of the software industry. At Sunderland Software City we are working to make more young people aware of the vast range of employment opportunities within North-East software and welcome any development which will provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to carve out successful, fulfilling careers within the industry."

Sunderland's success in providing this course has been given political backing by the Shadow Education Secretary Stephen Twigg.

He added: "This is fantastic news for Sunderland, and I congratulate Sunderland University on their pioneering work on computer science.

"We need more teachers to be able to teach courses that will develop the computer programmers and software designers of the future. It's important that computing courses are about far more than learning basic ICT skills like word-processing."

Senior lecturer John Grey, who will be teaching the subject next year, said: "We are delighted to be able to offer this course to train teachers who will be able to go on to engage students in our schools with what is a fascinating and challenging subject." "Computer science in schools will help our young people to become creators of computer technology rather than just consumers. Teachers qualifying through our Computer Science PGCE will be at the forefront of these developments."

For more information contact the university helpline on (0191) 515 3000.