Students take centre stage at national IT employers conference
Posted on Friday 10 July 2009
IT Advanced Diploma students contribute to e-skills UK Conference, Digital Talent
Students present their IT Diploma work to top executives
Students from Farnborough Sixth Form College took centre stage at the UK’s major technology conference in London this week, Digital Talent. In a live on-stage interview with TV presenter, Alastair Stewart, they described their innovative work in the new IT advanced level diploma.
The conference was set up by e-skills UK, the sector skills council responsible for making sure that the UK has the IT skills it needs for a global digital economy. Government Minister for Communications, Technology & Broadcasting, Lord Carter, and more than 100 employers attended the event, including senior executives from IBM, British Airways, the BBC, Logica and Network Rail.
College student, Rebecca McCallam, said, “I was really nervous about speaking at so large an event with a Minister and so many significant employers!”
Interviewed by Alastair Stewart, she told the audience, “I chose the IT Diploma as part of my advanced level studies because it gave me practical and theoretical experiences of both business and IT, and it has encouraged me to work both as an individual but also as a member of a team. Our project based on introducing IT skills to our partner school in Ghana has been fascinating, really challenging our preconceptions about resources, facilities and expectations.”
The students were accompanied to the conference by their teachers, Matthew Thorne, Curriculum Manager for the IT Diploma, and his colleague Terri-lee Palmer. Mr Thorne said, “The College is pioneering a new approach to advanced level studies in the Diploma. We have introduced projects which integrate the various units so that real coherence can be built into learning, providing stretch and challenge for the students.”
Terri-lee Palmer added, “The Chief Executives of the companies present seemed very eager to find out more about the College and its approach to the Diploma and we have been promised sponsorship for our work with our partner school in Ghana.”
College student, Harry Scott, said, “I was really proud to have been asked to participate in the event and it was inspirational to meet a leader like Larry Hirst, Chief Executive of IBM – he has become my role model!”
Karen Price, Chief Executive of e-skills UK who master-minded the conference, said, “IT is one of the UK’s most innovative and successful industries and the students from Farnborough Sixth Form College demonstrated with energy and enthusiasm how they had been inspired and motivated by their studies; I am delighted they were able to contribute so significantly to this important event.”
