BBC gives children mini-computers in Make it Digital scheme

One million Micro Bits -- a stripped-down computer similar to a Raspberry Pi -- will be given to all pupils starting secondary school in Fall 2015. The BBC is also launching a season of coding-based programs and activities. It will include a new drama based on Grand Theft Auto and a documentary on Bletchley Park. The initiative is part of a wider push to increase digital skills among young people and help to fill the digital skills gap. The UK is facing a significant skills shortage, with 1.4 million "digital professionals" estimated to be needed over the next five years. The BBC is joining a range of organisations including Microsoft, BT, Google, Code Club, TeenTech and Young Rewired State to address the shortfall.