Technology has transformed nearly every aspect of our daily lives, even how students view the job market. A research study conducted by KX, a UK-based software company, shows that 49% of 16-24 year olds in the UK see coding languages as being either more or equally as valuable as foreign languages skills in furthering future career prospects. 

Students' desire to code is motivated by their aspiration for better jobs. In the UK, knowing how to code allows for 60% better job opportunities and 45% higher salaries, according to the survey of 1,000 students.

SEE:Developer jobs and programming languages: What's hot and what's next

"It's encouraging that students across the UK see coding and data analytics skills as being important to their future career success," says Kathy Schneider, chief marketing officer at KX. "With the continuing digitization of almost all industries, these skills will be fundamental to the growth and development of both individuals and economies."

Special Feature

Software development: Emerging trends and changing roles

ZDNet takes an in-depth look at key trends in software development and how developers are changing the tech industry.

British students are adapting to the changing times and have taken the initiative to learn to code. Nearly one-third (29%) of British students have either taken or are planning to take a course in data analytics or data science, and 24% said the same for computational intelligence. 

The job market in the tech industry is ever-growing, especially in the face of the skill shortages that have plagued the industry. Last month, hundreds of nonprofits, universities, and tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Meta partnered with tech education non-profit Code to include opportunities to learn computer science in schools and curb the shortage.

SEE: If you want to make it big in tech, these are the skills you really need

A recent report by the UK Government found that strengthening and supporting digital ecosystems could add another