Autumn I 2024 Welcome
Greetings from Wakefield College's Digital Industries and Computing Department!
Department Newsletter Computing Department Hosts Industry Day
I am thrilled to welcome you to read our departmental newsletter, an exciting new publication designed to keep you informed and engaged with the latest happenings, developments, and opportunities in our amazing department.
As the head of the department, I am continually inspired by the passion and innovation that our students and staff bring to the world of digital industries and computing. This newsletter is our way of sharing that inspiration with you.
In this edition, you can expect to find a wealth of information. We'll bring you the latest news from our department, keeping you up-to-date with current trends, technological advancements, and departmental achievements. It's an excellent way for you to stay connected and informed about the field you are about to enter when you are interested in. We also believe in the power of real stories to inspire and guide. That's why we will be featuring student case studies, showcasing the journeys, challenges, and successes of our students. These stories not only highlight the real-world application of our courses but also serve as a testament to the supportive and innovative environment that Wakefield College offers.
We are excited about the journey ahead and can't wait for you to be a part of it.
Rob Charlish Head of Computing & Digital Industries
Specialists from Intelligency and Binary Managed Solutions (BMS) recently delivered talks to Information Technology students at Wakefield College as part of its Industry Day.
Eliot Ferrier from Intelligency, a specialist digital intelligence consultancy and Curtis Holt, from BMS, a leader in IT infrastructure and security requirements, delivered presentations about the exciting and rapidly evolving fields of IT, Digital Marketing and Network Security.
Curtis, a Technical Team Leader at BMS, talked about the importance of network security in protecting sensitive information, explaining the different types of web attacks and how companies can protect themselves against them.
He also spoke about what services BMS provide, his job role and how he started his career in IT, as well as shared best practices for IT management and implementation.
As a Digital Marketing Executive at Intelligency, Eliot discussed the critical role that digital marketing plays in business. He shared his knowledge of how to segment audiences, create a social media strategy and defined Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) with the students.
Throughout Eliot’s presentation, his passion and expertise for Digital Marketing was evident to the students.
After the presentations, the students were given a brief for a fictional company and tasked with putting their knowledge from the session to the test. This saw them create a company network by purchasing the relevant equipment such as servers and computers, with the winning group presented with a prize.
On behalf of the students and our dedicated teaching staff, I would like to thank Intelligency and Binary Managed Solutions for providing interactive sessions which allowed our students to showcase their IT theory skills in practice through a very challenging and engaging week-long project. We are very appreciative of the collaborative companies who dedicate their time and understand the value of industry led projects and T Level industry placement opportunities. Initiatives like this forge lasting partnerships and we look forward to working with Eliot and Cutis again in the very near future.”
- Tony Jackson, Work Placement Coordinator at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group
Fun Facts!
Humble Beginnings:
The first computer mouse wasn’t made of high-tech materials, but carved out of wood! Invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1964.
Early Bird Gets the Worm:
Believe it or not, email predates the World Wide Web! Email was invented in the 1960s, while the Web came along decades later in the 1980s.
Garage Dreams:
Many tech giants started small. Hewlett-Packard, a cornerstone of the tech industry, was founded in a garage by Bill Hewlett and David Packard in 1939.
Most of the Money is Digital:
Cash may seem king, but over 90% of the world’s currency actually exists as digital data! This means the money in your bank account and most financial transactions happen electronically.
Water Powered Computing:
The first computer built in the Soviet Union in 1936 used water! A mechanical computer, called the Lukyanov machine, solved complex equations using a system of water-filled tubes.
Hear from our Students
Eleanor
I’ve loved every second of doing this course! The tutors are fantastic and make it easy for you to understand what it is you have to do.
This course has spurred me on to want to become an IT technician in the NHS. If I ever got the option to do it all again, I would!
Khalita
The course has enabled me to learn valuable skills like coding, advanced programming and referencing which will help prepare me for a career in computing.
The tutors host industry days which help to bridge the gap between learning and the industry. I’ve really enjoyed learning about cyber security and emerging tech.
Digital Industries
Ethan
At school, I found that I really enjoyed Media Studies so I thought I’d be good at the Games Development course. I enjoy working with Unity, a Game Development software and I used this for my final project in first year where we were able to make our own idea for a game up from scratch. My tutors have helped me with the programming side of the course which has helped me become more confident in it. I’ve also learned how to use Blender to make 3D assets, Photoshop skills, C# and Unity software work. We have also been using Trello to develop our project management skills which come in handy during big projects.
I have applied to go to university in Scotland and go on to be a game artist, designing UI and assets for games.
Escape Technology hosts wall vinyl competition for Wakefield College students
Wakefield College has teamed up with Escape Technology to host a wall vinyl competitiongiving its Digital Industries students an exciting opportunity to display their artwork across the College.
The students put their creativity to the test by designing a wall graphic which incorporated Escape Technology’s logo and celebrated the College’s partnership with the company.
After many dazzling submissions, Level 3 Media Production & Technology students Dan and Jamie were chosen as the winners, with their creations now featured on the walls of their learning spaces.
Dan said: “I was ecstatic when I found out that I had won the competition as I put a lot of thought and effort into creating the design. I researched what Escape Technology do and their brand, which was my inspiration for the colour scheme and the layout - encapsulating both the identity of the company and the College. The competition was really fun and engaging and I enjoyed the challenging aspects of it.”
The submissions for the competition were judged by a selection of people from Escape Technology’s team of technology, art and animation industry veterans. After receiving so many inventive submissions from the students, they decided one winner was not enough.
John Stopforth, Head of Education at Escape Technology, paid a visit to the College to see its Game Development teaching facilities and to present Dan and Jamie with a £50 Amazon voucher each for winning the competition.
Games Design Studio Tour and Course Overview
Our Games Design lecturer, Pete, gives you an overview of our games courses and showcases the amazing state-of-the-art facilities on offer here at Wakefield College.
John said: “At Escape Technology, we are keen to drive forward industry-focused education. The competition was a great opportunity to do this, whilst enabling students to work on a reallife brief and develop new skills. Our judges were impressed with all entrants and their remarkable wall designs which utilised various software programmes and techniques.”
The graphics have been installed in the Digital Industries department’s games development teaching facilities, which have been designed to immerse students into an effective working environment and teach them what it’s like to work in a game development studio.
Wakefield College currently offers four of the University of Arts London (UAL) specialised courses that cover Games Development, Web Design and Digital Design.
Escape Technology, who Rob Charlish arranged the competition with, is an expert technology consultant who work with the creative industries, specialising in VFX, Visualisation, Education and Gaming.
The project gave the students a chance to step away from their usual coursework and explore a more creative process designed to test their skills. We hope this will become a yearly project for our students, enabling them to work on client briefs. Escape Technology’s willingness to deliver student-focused projects such as this, as well as their advice and support in ensuring the department stays ahead of the latest technical advances, is invaluable.”
- Rob Charlish, Head of Curriculum for Computing & Digital Industries at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group.
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