Diploma in IT students head to IBM’s innovation centre to see the potential of technology
18 pupils studying the Diploma in IT at Wyvern Technology College enjoyed a day of inspirational talks and business activities at IBM’s innovation labs in Hursley, just outside of Winchester.
The day was organised by e-skills UK and IBM to provide students studying the employer-backed qualification with an opportunity to learn first-hand how technology plays a crucial role within business. The students, aged 14 and 15, got the chance to hear from a range of employees, tour the innovation labs and take part in a business challenge.
Work-related learning plays a vital role in the Diploma in IT, a new qualification supported by businesses from the IT sector that combines theoretical and applied learning. IBM was part of the original steering group of employers that helped design the curriculum, based on the skills they want to see in their future employees.
Twitter technology
The day got off to a flying start with a special talk from Dr Andy Stanford-Clark, Master Inventor, who spoke about the importance of technology to our daily lives and the planet at large, not just to business.
Andy walked the students through the potential of technology as an energy saver, speaking about how he has linked his own home-automation system to Twitter to report on usage in his house, an event which sees house plants ‘tweeting’ when they are thirsty! IBM has filed 42 patents for the technologies Andy has developed, and he directs Smarter Planet activities at IBM Hursley.
Smarter students, smarter planet
After lunch the students’ creative and business skills were put to the test as they were given one hour to come up with a technological solution to a fictional business problem. Students were divided into 4 teams, each tackling a different problem.
Ed Moffatt, Software Engineer for IBM who helped organised the event said, “We asked the teams to act as consultants at a fictional company, which had been contacted by a department store manager asking the consultants to pitch solutions to the store's business problems"
"the teams all did a great job of communicating their ideas. They saw how important technology is to every aspect of a business, and we were very impressed with the level of understanding and creativity that their projects demonstrated”, Ed continued.
The winning group delivered a presentation on improving the store’s security system. They considered automated and adaptive surveillance and tracking, where different devices were employed according to the time of day or night. They even stood up to a grilling from the judges about the Return on Investment (ROI) of their proposed solution, so thoroughly deserved their victory!
Thoughts on the day
100% of the students said the event made them more likely to consider a career in IT. “I like learning about the way they use technology within businesses” said one of the students about their studies. “I enjoy working with computers to solve problems” said another.
Derek Treagus (Hursley Laboratory Manager) said “The Diploma in IT provides students with the right mix of interpersonal, technical and business skills that will set them up for higher education and their future career. Employers like IBM are looking for this balance from the next generation of employees. Days like today give students the chance to exercise teamwork and presentation skills, and work alongside recent graduates to solve business problems using technology.”
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