CASE STUDY - Life as an IT First Line Support Worker

Interested in a career in IT? Have a look at this case study of a IT first line support worker at RAMSAC for advice and information about how to get a job in IT...

What does your company do?

RAMSAC is an IT outsourcing company. They provide a range of IT services for several hundred companies ranging from assisting with

technology projects to providing a helpline to provide IT support for RAMSAC customers.

What did you do before you started working there?
Charles went to school at St Johns in Leatherhead where he gained 11 GCSEs and A levels in ICT, design technology and biology and an AS level in Physics

What attracted you to this job?

Charles decided that he would prefer to get a  job rather than going to University because he didn’t want to get into debt.

He knew that he wanted to work in IT as he had always been interested in it and whilst he was at school he spent his spare time playing with IT and  looking at IT operating systems. He enjoys problem solving and working out how things work together and felt that a career it IT would suit him.  problems.

He spoke to some companies and was concerned that the knowledge that he would gain at University might be out of date by the time that he graduated as the IT industry is developing very quickly. He was also concerned about the debts that he would be left with if he went to University whilst an apprenticeship enabled him to gain experience and qualifications whilst earning a salary.

He found this job after going to an apprenticeship event at Guildford college and taking to a number of companies.

What advice would you give someone thinking about this as a career?

Charles feels that studying for A levels I useful because this helps to develop a work ethic and teaches you how to prioritise and take responsibility for your own work. The actual A levels are less important that an interest in IT  and how systems work although IT A level is helpful (but not essential)

Charles had the following advice for people at school considering their next steps:

·         Before deciding whether to go to University think what type of job you would like to do and talk to people who are recruiting for these roles to see what they are looking for – this could either be employers or recruitment agencies

·         If you are interested in the IT industry remember that it is developing very fast and so an apprenticeship may be a better option than going to University as you will gain the skills that businesses are looking for whilst being paid to do so and without building up a big debt.

SATROClub Extended Work Placement

In July, Thomas from Esher College participated in a SATROClub Extended Placement at the University of Surrey. Here is what he had to say only one week into his placement.

"I found that the first two days were quite intense because my supervisor (Radu) had to teach me a lot of complicated physics. I now understand most of it and it is becoming easier. I have also started using some software to simulate transistors and it didn't take long to get used to it. I am on track to completing my project in 4 weeks. Radu and I created a rough plan for the duration of the project, showing what needs to be done each day, and I am not behind on anything (so far). Although some of the theory involved in the project is very advanced, it is very interesting and I am really enjoying it because I am learning something new and different to what I have learned in college. Radu is a great supervisor. He is very helpful and a good teacher. He is also very friendly and I enjoy going to lunch with him and Will, who is working on a similar project with Radu."

We hope the rest of your placement was just as enjoyable as the first week, Thomas!

Tackling Youth Unemployment - Vocational Training

For the sake of young job seekers standing a better chance of securing work, they need to be better educated on the variety of options that are available to them after leaving school – this means looking at alternatives to conventional study.

Vocational training, as an alternative pathway into work, is very often overlooked. However, it is an extremely valuable one that should definitely be considered. Vocational students can learn skills quickly and are able to start looking for work within weeks or months after qualifying, as opposed to years.

For more on this story visit this website.

SATROCLUB EXTENDED WORK PLACEMENT

Atdhe is on an extended work placement at Jacobs, an engineering company. Here is what he had to say about his experience so far...

"I'm already finding the placement positively challenging and intriguing, I have been given 3 possible situations that I could choose to work on: The first being some restructuring work at Sydney Harbour Bridge; the second was the replacement of the deck at Church Bridge in Gloucester; and the final option was work on Carter Bridge in St. Helens. I spent the first couple of days making myself aware of the context behind each bridge, reading various reports and analysing complex drawings. Towards the end of the week we decided to exclusively look at the Church and Carter Bridge's further. On Friday I spent many hours working out various dimensions and researching material densities in order to determine the impact of each option on the environment with respect to their carbon footprints. A major surprise to me is in how relevant my work is and the responsibility and freedom that I have been given in carrying out my work, in such a manner that I have never experienced prior to this week."

We hope you enjoy the next three weeks of your placement, Atdhe!