Our Year 12 & 13 Further Maths learners took on an intricate Employer Led Project (ELP) with Ibtehaj, a Solutions Architect from Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS, a subsidiary of Amazon, is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, offering over 200 fully featured services from data centres globally. It provides a dynamic environment where innovation is driven by data and technology. 

Ibtehaj introduced our learners to the fascinating world of sorting algorithms and minimum spanning trees, skills crucial in the analysis and optimisation of real raw data. His role at AWS involves guiding customers to use technology efficiently, bridging knowledge gaps, and ensuring technological decisions enhance performance and service quality. Through his visit, learners gained insights into how mathematics underpins the solutions and strategies employed in cloud computing and technology consultancy. 

The project centred around a hypothetical scenario where a Cafe chain is entering a contract with Amazon, looking to optimise supply and delivery services through AWS. Learners were tasked with acting as consultants to present logical and reasoned strategies to Café Nero, aimed at minimising costs and optimising time. This brief challenged them to apply mathematical concepts to a practical, business-oriented context, developing a portfolio to present their findings. 

Faeqa, teacher of mathematics, expressed her enthusiasm about the project: "This collaboration with Ibtehaj from AWS has been incredibly valuable. It not only highlighted the practical applications of sorting algorithms and minimum spanning trees but also opened our learners' eyes to the diverse career paths in technology and mathematics." 

Learners had the opportunity to work in groups and develop their project over several weeks then present their findings to our visitor and receive valuable feedback. This ELP is a testament to the importance of integrating educational curricula with industry practices, preparing our learners for the challenges and opportunities of the future.