Cyber Technology sparks student imaginations at Computacenter

HATFIELD — A group of Computing & IT students from Oaklands College got a unique insight into one of the biggest IT companies in the UK in a recent weeklong work experience placement at Hatfield –based Computacenter.

Five Level 2 and 3 students were handpicked by college tutors to access behind the scenes at the company’s UK headquarters in Hertfordshire, spending the week rotating between departments. The students experienced many facets of the business  – everything from scheduling support engineers, monitoring live cyber security threats to a tour of the expansive warehouse operations.

The week’s packed itinerary also included valuable specialist sessions by the Computacenter team in CV writing and employability skills. High in the student’s praise was the session with the  cyber security team, getting the opportunity to examine a live feed of security hacks as they unfold in real time across the globe.

At the end of the five days, each student individually presented to the team they had worked alongside during the week to feedback what they had learnt.  For many, the task was one of their first experiences of delivering a presentation in a working environment.

The placement will go towards the students required hours of work experience required to complete their chosen study programme, which for many is a BTEC 90 Credit in Information Technology.

Sam Graham, 17 from Welwyn Garden City said : “I came here with a passion for games , computing and media and I come away from this placement feeling really confident this is where I want my career to be.  From the fast paced live security threats to feeling overwhelmed like a kid in a football stadium in the warehouse – it’s been amazing to see the scale of the operation at Computacenter.”

19-year-old Roxanna Sheridan from Hatfield said: “For me the CV session was also really useful. To hear first-hand from an employer about what they are looking for in the CVs they see and candidates they recruit has given me focus on my own skills and strengths. It has given me lots of ideas to improve my own CV and made me realise how important it is to get it right. “

The placement is supported by College work experience team The Edge, who liaise with local employers to support Oaklands students on work experience placements relating to their chosen study programme.

Computacenter’s Doris Bozio, who welcomed the students said: “We had an amazing week with eh Oaklands College students. They impressed us all very much and we are thrilled with their feedback. We wish them the best in their future endeavours – they showed fantastic skills and will be a great asset to any employer after their studies.”