SCIoT student shortlisted at National Cyber Awards

Milton Keynes College Group is proud to announce that Rich Lee, one of our students at the South Central Institute of Technology (SCIoT) was nominated at the National Cyber Awards as one of the finalists in the Cyber Student of the Year award.

Rich, who studies Cyber Security at the SCIoT, was nominated for his ability to extrapolate a concept and apply it in a creative way making these concepts accessible to a broader audience. Rich joined the South Central Institute of Technology later in life than most traditional students, having several careers behind him already not relating to Cyber security. 

He joined to study a Level 4 Higher National Diploma in Digital Technologies and has excelled this year with all his units, especially the one relating to Cyber Security. Under the supervision of lecturer Paul Gartside, former Head of UK Software Engineering & UK Technology Site Lead, Rich has continually impressed lecturers at the SCIoT and the employers for work with us, including CCL and Cranfield University. His creative approach to problem solving is uplifting and supportive to the other students around him which is why others seek his advice on cyber related threat problems set in the learning environment.

The prestigious awards, held on 25th September, focus on rewarding those who are committed to cyber innovation, cyber crime reduction and protecting citizens online.

Paul Gartside, Lecturer in Cyber Security and Data Analytics, and one of Rich’s tutors, said, “I’m so proud of Rich for getting shortlisted as one of the students of the year. His hard work and dedication are an inspiration to everyone around him and, even though he might not have won on the night, to me, he won simply by getting to the national finals. This is real achievement and something we should all celebrate.”

Many students struggle with stress and anxiety from time to time, particularly when juggling exams, coursework and life in general. Over the past year, however, students have had to face more stresses than usual. The pandemic has affected everyone in one way or another and we’ve all found our own ways to cope.

One of our Digital Marketing students has turned to Mindfulness to help manage stress and has found it so helpful, that she chose to share this newfound passion with her fellow coursemates. Megan Shipton led a Bitesize weekly online session with students to give tips on how to use Mindfulness effectively, sharing useful resources and even her own self-published book focusing on gratitude awareness and breathing methods.

Megan’s Story

“My interest in Mindfulness began while studying – I tuned in to myself and realised the importance of looking after my mental health. Mindfulness is something I try and tune into on a daily basis. By practising mindfulness techniques such as yoga, meditation and breathwork, I feel more present. As a mindfulness advocate, being present is so important when working or doing college work.

My favourite ways to practice mindfulness range from meditation and yoga to listening to podcasts. I try to find what works best for me in that moment by listening to how I feel. Sometimes, just taking a step back from everything and going for a walk helps me to feel more mindful and connected to myself.

‘Being Mindful’ is the short book I self-published, focusing on using gratitude awareness, breathing methods and guided imagery to help readers feel more mindful. Also, Mindfulness is different for everyone, however, the book shows that we can all use our own mindfulness techniques to create meaningful connections with the world around us.

Personally, the best piece of advice I have received is to take each moment as it comes. By focusing on the present moment, we are not thinking about the past nor worrying about the future. It is important to live presently and make the most of that moment whatever it is. Too often, we are trying to live as our future selves by stressing about our work or other tasks, when fundamentally all that matters is the here and now. If you are feeling stressed try to take a moment to remember what is important to you right now, whether this be prioritising work or focusing on yourself.

There are so many amazing podcasts and apps out there to help you on your mindfulness journey. At the moment, I am listening to Radio Headspace and The Alan Watts Audio Experience podcasts on Spotify. These podcasts are helping me understand the importance of perception and creating a positive environment in my mind. I also really recommend the Calm app, which is great for meditation and sleep.”

We’re loving these fantastic tips from Megan and can’t wait to take a look at her book. If you’re struggling at all and are in need of more wellbeing support, remember that anyone at Milton Keynes College can access free online mental health support with Togetherall, any time, any day. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you to explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. 

Ruhaimi Anver

After trying my hand at the Level 2 Engineering course here at the college, it was pretty clear that it just wasn’t for me. I was more interested in the technical side of engineering, and with my older brother working in the IT field, I decided a Computing course would suit me much better. My brother had left university for a job in IT with a decent salary, and he enjoys his job – so I knew I wasn’t taking a huge risk. I’m really active on social media and often make videos, so I already had a good set of editing skills that I knew would come in handy in some of the units, such as animation.

I started out on the Level 2 Computing course, and have now progressed on to the Access to HE: Computer Science course. I want to be ready as soon as possible to start my career, and the units on the Access course really appealed to me. I’ve found that in researching job roles, most companies are after people with experience, not necessarily university degrees, which is why I’ve decided I’m going to do an apprenticeship once I’ve passed this course. I’d like to work for a bigger company, such as Metro Bank or one of the head offices in Milton Keynes. I would like more training and to learn on the job, as well as get a good salary (obviously). As well as covering topics such as Cyber Threats, coding using different languages, databases and spreadsheets, we’ve also learnt some transferable, general skills such as different methods of note taking. I know it sounds boring but it’s actually come in really useful!

My favourite unit has by far been the research project. I looked into life as a cashless society, and the threat of fraud when it comes to online banking. It’s interesting to think that physical money could totally disappear in a short while, and the way we live our lives and operate as an economy. I also enjoyed learning how to use different equipment, such as the graphic tablets we used when learning about animation.

Deborah Mungai joined the South-Central Institute of Technology to study Security and Networking this year after finishing her A levels. She began exploring the options open to her that would cater for her passion for tech, and reviewed universities, apprenticeships and IoT. 

Deborah’s Story

Deborah’s schoolteacher managed to schedule a meeting with Laura, Head of Curriculum at South Central Institute of Technology, and the rest is history. Deborah tells her story about her experience.

“This turned into a golden opportunity for me as soon as I visited the college for the boot camp. The building is separated from all other buildings and it was so quiet and clean, there were only a few students around which was positive as the teachers can offer more advice one-on-one or in small groups. At the Digital Boot Camp we were presented with all of the modules involved in the course and what we would gain from these modules. 

Throughout the course we have learnt so much from the tutors – they really speak from the heart because they have so much personal experience. The tasks we’re set really push you to communicate and ask for help from teachers and fellow students. I have enjoyed meeting new people, and the flexibility of the course means I can keep my part-time job and my online business as well. 

 After finishing my course, I would want to get more experience in Cyber Security and to work for a big company like Cisco, Microsoft or Google, that would be a dream come true! I generally want to work and gain experience across different sectors, I could even help educate others.”

What would your advice be to someone interested in studying at the SCIoT?

“To those who may have finished school and might not know what they want to do after school, I would advise to try out the South Central Institute of Technology, it gives you the option to study further before you decide if you want to continue with higher education, begin an apprenticeship or straight into work. It can also help you decide what area of Computing or Games & Animation you want to specialise in. 

I can’t say how much I love being part of the South Central Institute of Technology, it has given me so many opportunities and really opened my eyes to how I can achieve my goals. 

South Central Institute of Technology is the best place to be!”

What do SCIoT students get up to? Watch to find out!

Ryan Killick had always been interested in computers and the extensive world of IT, and has been working as an apprentice for Nuco Technologies for over a year. Here he tells us about the process of becoming an apprentice, what his work life is like and how the company has supported him to become the competent and professional adult he is today.

“I first applied for a job with Nuco Technologies (formerly known as Host-IT) in May 2016. After a quick response from the company they confirmed their interest and an interview/tour took place afterwards, following on with a two week trial period in July. After this trial I was happy with what my role was going to be, and they were happy with keeping me on. We decided on doing an apprenticeship with MK College since this would let me develop my current skills as well as progress further, learning everything I need relating to my job and the industry.

I have always had an interest in IT from a very young age, I started by taking apart various computers, learning about each component, what they were for and how they worked. I was also playing around with Linux, which helped me dive into the command line and get more advanced knowledge on how the operating system works. Most of my knowledge has come from fixing problems with my own computers. Instead of just taking them to a shop to get repaired I would instead look into the issue and try to resolve it myself, this alone got me understanding how everything works, while also giving me knowledge of common problems people have with their computers.

It wasn’t long before people were asking me to look into their technical problems, whether this involved physically fixing someone’s laptop or remotely connecting to their machine through RDP or SSH to fix the problem.

As I hadn’t previously had a job, going straight from school into work was quite a challenging task as it’s a completely different environment. Luckily it didn’t take long to adapt since Nuco Technologies provide a very supportive and relaxed working environment. Working there has enabled me to progress, and has given me the opportunity to put my skills to use and learn many new things. Being an apprentice is very helpful since the day release provides a lot of time to just study without any interruptions, and you can also get support from college tutors if you need it.”

“The Apprentice scheme has enabled us to employ a talented 16 year old and invest in them with the help of Milton Keynes College, so they can transition from a school environment to a business environment and perform a job role which is backed up by formal training and qualifications. Hopefully that they will become a key part of our technical team, supporting our business needs both now and in the future.” – Andrew Willis, MD of Nuco Technologies.

You’re Hired: IT Apprentice Ryan Killick

Ever wondered what it’s like to go straight from school into work? IT Apprentice Ryan tells us all about his experience, how he managed the transition and what his job has taught him.

“I first applied for a job with Nuco Technologies in May 2016. After a quick response from the company they confirmed their interest and an interview/tour took place afterwards, following on with a two week trial period in July. After this trial I was happy with what my role was going to be, and they were happy with keeping me on. We decided to do an apprenticeship with MK College since this would let me develop my current skills as well as progress further, learning everything that relates to my job and the industry.

I have always had an interest in IT from a very young age, I started by taking apart various computers, learning about each component, what they were for and how they worked. I was also playing around with Linux, which helped me pe into the command line and get more advanced knowledge on how the operating system works. Most of my knowledge has come from fixing problems with my own computers. Instead of just taking them to a shop to get repaired, I would instead look into the issue and try to resolve it myself, this alone got me understanding how everything works, while also giving me knowledge of common problems people have with their computers. It wasn’t long before people were asking me to look into their technical problems, whether it was physically fixing someones laptop or remotely connecting to their machine through RDP or SSH to fix the problem.

As I hadn’t previously had a job, going straight from school into work was quite a challenging task as it’s a completely different environment. Luckily it didn’t take long to adapt since Nuco Technologies provide a very supportive and relaxed working environment. Working there has enabled me to progress, and has given me the opportunity to put my skills to use and learn many new things. Being an apprentice is very helpful since the day release provides a lot of time to just study without any interruptions, and you can also get support from college tutors if you need it.”

Ryan Killick had always been interested in computers and the extensive world of IT, and has been working as an apprentice for Nuco Technologies for over a year. Here he tells us about the process of becoming an apprentice, what his work life is like and how the company has supported him to become the competent and professional adult he is today.

“I first applied for a job with Nuco Technologies (formerly known as Host-IT) in May 2016. After a quick response from the company they confirmed their interest and an interview/tour took place afterwards, following on with a two week trial period in July. After this trial I was happy with what my role was going to be, and they were happy with keeping me on. We decided on doing an apprenticeship with MK College since this would let me develop my current skills as well as progress further, learning everything I need relating to my job and the industry.

I have always had an interest in IT from a very young age, I started by taking apart various computers, learning about each component, what they were for and how they worked. I was also playing around with Linux, which helped me dive into the command line and get more advanced knowledge on how the operating system works. Most of my knowledge has come from fixing problems with my own computers. Instead of just taking them to a shop to get repaired I would instead look into the issue and try to resolve it myself, this alone got me understanding how everything works, while also giving me knowledge of common problems people have with their computers.

It wasn’t long before people were asking me to look into their technical problems, whether this involved physically fixing someone’s laptop or remotely connecting to their machine through RDP or SSH to fix the problem.

As I hadn’t previously had a job, going straight from school into work was quite a challenging task as it’s a completely different environment. Luckily it didn’t take long to adapt since Nuco Technologies provide a very supportive and relaxed working environment. Working there has enabled me to progress, and has given me the opportunity to put my skills to use and learn many new things. Being an apprentice is very helpful since the day release provides a lot of time to just study without any interruptions, and you can also get support from college tutors if you need it.”

“The Apprentice scheme has enabled us to employ a talented 16 year old and invest in them with the help of Milton Keynes College, so they can transition from a school environment to a business environment and perform a job role which is backed up by formal training and qualifications. Hopefully that they will become a key part of our technical team, supporting our business needs both now and in the future.” – Andrew Willis, MD of Nuco Technologies.

You’re Hired: IT Apprentice Ryan Killick

Ever wondered what it’s like to go straight from school into work? IT Apprentice Ryan tells us all about his experience, how he managed the transition and what his job has taught him.

“I first applied for a job with Nuco Technologies in May 2016. After a quick response from the company they confirmed their interest and an interview/tour took place afterwards, following on with a two week trial period in July. After this trial I was happy with what my role was going to be, and they were happy with keeping me on. We decided to do an apprenticeship with MK College since this would let me develop my current skills as well as progress further, learning everything that relates to my job and the industry.

I have always had an interest in IT from a very young age, I started by taking apart various computers, learning about each component, what they were for and how they worked. I was also playing around with Linux, which helped me pe into the command line and get more advanced knowledge on how the operating system works. Most of my knowledge has come from fixing problems with my own computers. Instead of just taking them to a shop to get repaired, I would instead look into the issue and try to resolve it myself, this alone got me understanding how everything works, while also giving me knowledge of common problems people have with their computers. It wasn’t long before people were asking me to look into their technical problems, whether it was physically fixing someones laptop or remotely connecting to their machine through RDP or SSH to fix the problem.

As I hadn’t previously had a job, going straight from school into work was quite a challenging task as it’s a completely different environment. Luckily it didn’t take long to adapt since Nuco Technologies provide a very supportive and relaxed working environment. Working there has enabled me to progress, and has given me the opportunity to put my skills to use and learn many new things. Being an apprentice is very helpful since the day release provides a lot of time to just study without any interruptions, and you can also get support from college tutors if you need it.”