Computing students compete in global competition

Three Level 3 Computing students at Burton and South Derbyshire College are set to compete in the Western Europe Regional Stage of the Huawei ICT Academy Competition after qualifying in the national final stage.

Networking and Cyber Security students, Tom Washbourne and Kieron Summers, and Programming App Development student, Tia Newbold competed in the national stage of the competition, where individuals from across the world compete to be selected to represent their region. The students will now work together as part of a team to represent the UK in the Western Europe Region in the regional stage of the competition.

The Huawei ICT Competition is an annual global ICT talent event designed by Huawei to promote digital learning and support the integration of industry and education. The competition provides a global platform for students in Huawei ICT Academies to showcase their talent and achieve recognition for achievement. Students at BSDC are encouraged to enter a range of skills competitions during their studies to help them develop their skills. The College has seen a range of success, including two learners recently winning gold medals in the WorldSkills Cyber Security national competition.

Digital skills are in demand in a variety of industries, and Burton and South Derbyshire College offers a range of networking and cyber security courses, as well as being a member of the EC-Council (International Council of E-Commerce Consultants), a Cisco Networking Academy and a Huawei ICT Academy. Additionally, the College is set to launch a Cyber Security Lab with Stronger Towns funding that will include dedicated forensics and biometrics labs that are a natural addition to existing networking and software development. External specialists and patrons from the security services and industry are involved in the set-up of the new facilities to ensure they meet industry requirements.

Jacqui Maw, Curriculum Team Leader of Computing and Emerging Technologies said: “The students did extremely well to have qualified to the next stage of the competition – they will now work together as a team in the Western Europe Regional Stage, ‘Network Track’. Huawei's annual global ICT talent exchange provides students with a platform to compete and exchange ideas, enhancing their ICT knowledge and practical skills, as well as increasing their ability to innovate by using new technologies and platforms.”