CACI Ltd CACI Information Intelligence along with the support of CyNam welcomed a group of students from Newent Community School Years 12 and 13 for a day designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world experience.
The goal? To provide the students with a taste of the workplace while facilitating valuable networking opportunities with industry professionals.
The day kicked off with a tour of Hub8, an industry collaborative workspace, offering students a first hand glimpse into the dynamics of a professional environment. As they soaked in the atmosphere, they also heard about insights on various career paths from representatives of Gloucestershire College and CACI. Discussions ranged from apprenticeship routes into the cyber sector to broader career prospects, sparking curiosity among the students.
“As part of CACI’s growing commitment with CyNam, we really enjoyed hosting students from Newent Community School. The day started with a tour of Gloucestershire College and Hub8, a state-of-the-art education facility and a place that CACI calls ‘home’ as our Cheltenham office. Along with giving students the chance to speak to industry professionals, CACI and CyNam also gave a presentation about themselves, along with providing the students with CV and interview tips. This was followed by a CV writing review and discussions with students about their career aspirations. Overall, the day was a great opportunity to engage with students about their career and educational goals. CACI takes on both graduates and apprentices, so it was rewarding to support them in this way.”
“CACI enjoyed the opportunity to present and talk to the future generation of cyber professionals; these events are really important to us as we continue to look to the future of technology and aim to bring on board the best talent the UK has to offer.” – Max Tonkin
One highlight of the day was the introduction to the #CyberFirst bursary program, where a former participant shared their journey and the invaluable experiences gained from the scheme. CyNam delivered a compelling talk on the significance of innovation and collaboration in the sector, shedding light on the opportunities available in Cheltenham.
The students then delved into practical sessions, divided into groups and mentored by industry experts within Hub8. They learned essential skills such as CV writing and interview techniques, gaining valuable insights into what employers truly seek. To finish the morning off the students reflected on their key takeaways, sharing newfound knowledge and inspiration with their peers.
Thomas Worgan, Head of Computing and ICT at Newent Community School & Sixth Form Centre said “Our year 12 and 13 students had a great time we met some amazing people and some inspiring connections. Lots of food for thought and great to see one of our old students.”
We hope the students enjoyed the morning as they immersed themselves in a real-life cyber experience, newfound skills for CV writing and a deeper understanding of career pathways. And left equipped to navigate their future endeavours with confidence.
The day served as a pivotal stepping stone, empowering students to seize opportunities and carve out their paths in the dynamic world of cybersecurity.