Our year 13 learners Neon, Mathusan and Ibrahim seized the opportunity for super curricula success by taking part in a six-session programme with Aim Vision and The Workshop which aimed to help diverse young people access careers in technology.
We caught up with our learners to hear about their experiences:
Neon: It began with our Computer Science teacher, Alan. As we were planning our computer science NEA, Alan connected us with people from Vision Path, a beacon of hope for budding entrepreneurs and ambitious youths. Vision Path focuses on helping new upcoming aspiring entrepreneurs and young people from diverse backgrounds connect with the industry employers, learn new technical skills and succeed in achieving their careers. We were so lucky to have an amazing opportunity to complete a series of workshops, tailored in developing technical skills, literacy and careers.
Mathusan: There were sessions dedicated to our careers, sessions designed to not only to prepare us but give us a taste inside the world of work in technology and provide us with options for post sixth form pathways. One session that really stuck with me was the CV writing workshop. At first, when I thought about the CVs, I was particularly nervous because I was considering going for university and have not considered writing a CV, yet I still have career aspirations to be a software engineering. From this workshop, I learnt that there are so many opportunities that will require a CV such as undergraduate internships and apprenticeships. Whilst most students will be nervous going into the world of work due to the fact of having no experience, we learned that personal projects were also valued by tech companies. We discussed potential personal project ideas, as well as working on some back end and front-end projects during the technical sessions. Throughout the programme, we met many industry experts, people from data science, software engineering and cybersecurity who shared their stories and pathways which led to their prominent positions.
Ibrahim: My favourite session was the one on product design. Working in groups, we had various tasks regarding product design. This involved creating various ideas for a product, choosing one, presenting it to others and developing wireframes that will be used as a reference if the idea were taken further. This session was memorable as it taught us the technical skill of product design as well as bolstering our soft skills. We also delved into mastering React.js alongside HTML and CSS to develop a web page dedicated to cats—a project that stemmed from the design process we learned earlier. What stood out the most was the interaction between the students and the developers at The Workshop, allowing us to gain an insight into the industry. As an aspiring software engineer, this program was useful as it developed my skills in various areas of the industry as well as my confidence with working with others.
We commend our three learners for their commitment to such a valuable super curricular activity. They have shown great dedication to their career ambitions whilst showing great time management skills and remaining dedicated to their studies. These learners exemplify the vision of the college, to seize opportunities that advance their careers.
