Cast your mind back – if you’re old enough – to the dim, misty days of 1981. It was the year of the first Space Shuttle mission, the year Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, and the year that Adam and the Ants told everybody to Stand and Deliver.

It was also the year that the BBC Micro first became available.

Although it’s unlikely that anybody accurately predicted how pervasive computing would become in the modern world, it was already apparent back then that computing would be an influential factor in business and industry. In order to ensure that Great Britain would have the computing skills needed, the BBC Computer Literacy Project was established. Working with several computer companies, they wanted to develop a microcomputer which would be capable of performing a variety of tasks which they could then demonstrate in an accompanying television programme. The Acorn Computers team who won the contract were able to create a machine that not only matched the BBC’s specification, but also exceeded it; thus, the BBC Micro was born.

Released on the 1^st December 1981, it became the first introduction to computing for many people; around 80% of British schools had one, thanks to a government subsidy. This meant that children could learn vital computing skills from an early age. It was a gateway to a new range of careers – and you’ll find many people working in IT support in London today who still treasure their early memories of the BBC Micro.

Fast forward to today; computers are such an integral part of everyday life that we practically grow up with them. From laptops and desktop PCs to the ubiquitous smartphones and tablets, we often tend to assume that decent computing skills are just something everybody has.

However, that depends on how you define computing skills. What you find in the average workplace is that everybody will have decent skills as an end user – they know how to log in, check their email, use their everyday software etc. – but a surprising number of computer users don’t know what’s going on inside the box.

With the state of technology continuing to develop, it’s vital to teach the younger generation not only how to use computers, but to understand how they work; to learn about coding. Once again, in steps the BBC, who have recently unveiled the new BBC Microbit. Unlike the clunky big box of the original BBC Micro, the Microbit is approximately the size of a credit card, making it easy to connect to a range of different devices and objects. Using a simple web interface on a PC or even a mobile phone, users will be able to create and test simple programs, before transferring them to the tiny computer unit to run. Its 25 LEDs can be programmed to flash in different sequences, so it can easily be used to display letters and numbers, for example.

And, just as the original BBC Micro was everpresent in schools thanks to the government subsidy, the Microbit will be in every school, too – the BBC plan to give every school child in Year 7 this October their own Microbit, with the tiny computer made available to other children afterwards.

At Tristar IT, we’re keen to see the results in years to come, as more and more tech-savvy young people enter our industry and shape the future. In the meantime, whether you missed out on the Micro days or simply prefer to focus on your business and let somebody else deal with the inner workings of your IT network, we provide a range of IT support services – simply contact us on 01707 378453 for more information.