Our Computing and IT students enjoyed an inspiring visit from former IT students, Jamie and Tom, who returned to college recently to share their inspiring career journeys with our students, who are starting out right where they did 16 years ago!
Since leaving College, the pair have both led successful careers in the Digital and IT industries, and despite following different study routes, both now hold senior positions at companies who are leading the way for digital careers here in the Northwest.
Senior Engineer, Jamie, currently works at Manchester based IT company, Shaping Cloud. Since finishing his course at College, Jamie went on to complete a four-year Digital Forensics degree at Liverpool John Moore’s University, where he had the opportunity to do a one-year placement as an IT and Marketing Assistant at Willows Veterinary Group. After graduating, Jamie went on to secure a permanent role as an IT Manager at P R Scully & Co.
Meanwhile Tom, who now works as a Senior Administrator at Software Development company, Beyond Trust, decided a more practical study route was for him. After finishing College, he completed an IT Apprenticeship with Lloyds IP. Tom explained how his apprenticeship propelled him into the world of work and allowed him to advance through various roles within the company, such as Technical Services Agent, First Line IT Engineer, and Endpoint Systems Administrator, where he steadily climbed the career ladder.
During their visit, the pair spoke about how their early experiences at College played a pivotal role in their career success, setting them up with industry ready skills and the confidence to take the next step.
To maintain their knowledge, the pair explained how they’ve completed various globally recognised Microsoft Certifications to help keep them at the forefront of evolving technology. They said “Our advice to the students would be to ensure you’re keeping up to date with new technologies and current trends. It’s so important, especially in the Digital and IT industry, to keep furthering your skills, as things are advancing so rapidly.”
Joining them for their visit, was colleague and friend Lottie, who is a Talent and Employee Engagement Manager at Shaping Cloud. Lottie spoke about the UK’s digital skills gap which is being supported by the government to help young people, adults and businesses acquire these crucial skills to help create a workforce needed for the economy to thrive. Lottie also spoke about the exciting opportunities this support will bring, including the various tech career opportunities available here in the Northwest.
To finish, the students then had the chance to win some exciting hampers filled with Shaping Cloud merchandise, from t-shirts and pens, sweets, to power banks!
If you’re interested in studying Computing and IT, applications are open to join us this September. Discover more and apply to secure your place.
