Turn On Your Future @ UWTSD's School of Applied Computing & Electronics

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Training & Selection for Team UK WorldSkills Squad

The international and prestigious WorldSkills competition started in the 1950’s and brings together skilled young professionals from over 80 countries. WorldSkills supports young people across the world via competition-based training, with national teams taking part and testing their ability against each other in a world-class standards ‘Skills Olympics’ every two years. The skills young people gain from taking part in the competition embed world-class training across the world and helps to increase jobs and economic growth.

Participants compete in over 50 diverse fields including IT Network Systems Administration (IT-NSA).

Image: WorldSkillsUK IT-NSA Team training & selection at SOAC UWTSD

The squad for WorldSkillsUK (in partnership with Pearson) IT-NSA competition is selected based on UK National Competitions. For IT-NSA we had around 6 squad members who were trained by experts over the year, testing their skills and benchmarking international standards participating in various International Competitions. Our Competitors over the last year competed in Euro Skills 2023 in Gdansk Poland and Asia Skills 2023 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Considering the fact that the squad members are the best of the best from UK, only one out of them represent the UK in the upcoming WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France 2024. 

Nitheesh Kaliyamurthy (Senior Lecturer from the School of Applied Computing (SOAC) at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), took over as an Expert Training Manager for the WorldSkillsUK IT-NSA squad last year and has been involved in Training the squad. The School of Applied Computing at UWTSD, hosted various Technical Bootcamps in the year, starting with 1st Technical BootCamp in June 2023 for 3 days focusing on EuroSkills Test Project, 2nd Technical Boot Camp in November 2023 for 3 days focusing WorldSkills 2022 Special Edition Test Project and 3rd Technical Boot Camp for raising stars in the squad in January 2024 for 3 days. We also support IT NSA Squad for WorldSkills UK with International Standard Infrastructure enabling them to practice their Test Projects.

A WorldSkills Competition selection event to represent the WorldSkillsUK IT-NSA squad was hosted at SOAC-UWTSD last week with a 2-day Competition, where participants tested their skills in Microsoft, Linux, Troubleshooting aspects, Cisco and Infrastructure Automation.

Image: WorldSkillsUK IT-NSA Team training & selection at SOAC UWTSD

The competitors performed well. The competitors representing the UK squad will be announced later next month (April) during WorldSkills UK (in partnership with Pearson) Moderation Week. Intense training for that one competitor is planned over the coming months in May, June and July before they fly to Lyon, France in September 2024 to compete with other International Countries.

For more about WorldSkills please click-here. For information about Computing courses at UWTSD please click-here.

For inquiries related to WorldSkillsUK IT-NSA at UWTSD please contact Nitheesh Kaliyamurthy.

Graduate profile: Daniel Carlson

Q. Name: My name is Daniel Carlson.

Q. Course: I graduated with a BSc (Hons) Computer Networks and CyberSecurity Degree

CC: source.

Q. Job title: My job title is Graduate Test Engineer at Airbus Defence and Space, where I focus on testing different computer systems and checking for system vulnerabilities.

CC: source.

Q. About: Airbus Defence and Space is a leading Aerospace and Defence company, known for its innovative solutions in the field of aviation and space exploration.

CC source.

Q. UWTSD: The skills I learned at university, such as testing methodologies and background cyber knowledge, are crucial in my role as a Graduate Test Engineer.

CC: source.

Q. Typical day: A typical day involves designing and executing test plans, analysing results, and collaborating with a team to ensure product quality.

Q. Enjoyment: I enjoy the problem-solving aspect of my job and the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge aerospace technologies.

Q. Advice for students: Emphasize practical skills, seek any opportunities you can, and stay updated on industry trends and developments.

For further information about Computing courses at UWTSD, please click here.

For further information about Careers at Airbus, please click here.

Student Profile: Kallem G. Thomas

Q. What is your Name? Kallem G Thomas

Q. What inspires you about Computing/Technology/Electronics? The fact that computing is logical based and not emotionally based, I know that if my program doesn’t work, I have done something wrong. And I know that if it works as I want it to work, then I know I have done it correctly.

Q. What is your current favorite piece of Technology/hardware/software/App? Currently, my favorite piece of software would be Opera GX, it is a web browser specifically made for Gamers, one of the features I love the most about it is the “Force dark pages”, which does exactly as it sounds, no matter what page or website you load into, the browser will force the page to dark mode and adjust the font accordingly.

Q. Which University course are you studying and what year are you on? BSc (Hons) Computer Games Development – Year 1 of 3.

Q. What technical and employability skills are you learning on your course? I have learned to create a GDD (Game Design Document), which in the future game industry, I would be required to create and understand GDDs to create a new game. I have also been learning the C coding language as a whole to further my knowledge of coding.

Q. How do you think Technology is and will change the world for the better? On 16th July 1969, the first man landed on the moon, and now on the 29th of September 2023, humanity has created artificial intelligence to start automating mundane tasks. I would say technology CAN change the world for the better.

Q. What Career/job role would you like to enter after you Graduate? Videogame developer/designer.

Q. Do you have any hints/tips/advice for students who would like to start a University course? Your time at university is not just time to learn, it is also a time to connect with others and to start networking with others.

Q. In a few words describe your experience so far at UWTSD?. I have met so many great people on my course, not just my classmates, but my peers as well. It has been amazing, and I have already learned so many things while at UWTSD.

For further information about Computing courses at UWTSD, please click-here.

UWTSD Careers fair – Wed. 22nd March

Notice: UWTSD Careers fair – Wed. 22nd March

This fair is specifically targeted at the technology, IT and Engineering disciplines, and there will also be a range of employers who have vacancies to suit students seeking business and managerial, police and public service roles.

Some example employers attending include: Kier, Sony, Applaus Aerospace, AirBus, Digital Health Care Wales, South, Wales Police Force, CELSA Steel and Botanic Gardens of Wales.

Bring along your CV, as many employers have live vacancies and you could land yourself that first graduate job or some relevant summer work. UWTSD Careers service will also be running CV support sessions throughout the day, and you can get Career help and advice from them.

Date: 22nd March
Venue: IQ building
Room: 002 – SA1
Time: 11.30 – 2.30
If you have any questions, please contact: careers@uwtsd.ac.uk

CONFERENCE: CISCO NETWORKING & THE NEW CURRICULUM FOR WALES

A CONFERENCE ON “CISCO NETWORKING ACADEMY’S ROLE ON CURRICULUM FOR WALES”

The School of Applied Computing and Cisco Networking Academy Support Centre at the University of Wales Trinity St. David are organising a Conference for School Head Teachers and ICT Teachers focusing on the new curriculum for Wales (Computation Progression steps 3, 4 & 5). We invite you to a half-day Conference to be held on 18th January 2023 (Wednesday) from 9.30am to 2.00pm.

The Conference will be exploring the curriculum for Wales focusing on Computation Progression steps 3, 4 & 5, and the alignment opportunities with Cisco Networking Academy to provide an integrated learning model
that is industry aligned. We’ll be hearing talks from representatives from Industry and Academics.

To register: www.uwtsd.ac.uk/itacademy/cisco-networking-academy-conference

If you need any further details, please contact itacademy@uwtsd.ac.uk.

IET Lecture: Engineering the Human Factor

On Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022 at 7pm, Barry Kirby, Managing Director at KSharp Ltd will deliver an IET lecture on “Engineering the Human Factor” in person and online at UWTSD, IQ building, room 002 in Swansea.

About the event: Engineers are humans, therefore surely we know how people will use the products and services we develop, don’t we?. This talk will give an insight into the value of considering users at all stages of the project lifecycle, with real world examples of what happens when people are not considered, and the advantages that can be gained when you do. A high level overview of the tools, techniques and processes involved in Human Factors Engineering will be rounded off with a “next steps” for all engineers to consider in their current or future projects.

For further event information please click here:
https://tinyurl.com/yw47j5fk


To register to attend the event please click here: 
https://tinyurl.com/v4j2k6fr.


Staff profile: Munyaradzi Murira

The Applied Computing team at UWTSD are thrilled to welcome a number of new members to the team. This post features ‘Munyaradzi Murira‘ one of our new Computing Lecturers.

Munya has kindly answered some questions to share his passion for Computing & technology below:

Q. What inspires you most about Technology? I am inspired by how Technology improves the lives of people by automating tasks at home, schools, universities and in industry. The way it brings people together despite their physical location. I really cannot imagine life without the use of technology, as it meets so many of our needs.

Q. How do you think Technology is changing and will change the world for the better? Technology will always evolve and will continue to improve peoples’ lives. One of the areas which comes to the back of my mind is Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is developing rapidly, and I can envision a world where IoT devices are connected, and the communication is automated with minimal human interface. IoT will continue to employ different technologies to ensure automatic data transfer, analysis, and prompt response among various devices. The technology in play will include AI, Big Data, Machine Learning and Cloud Computing. Career opportunities in Network and Cybersecurity will continue to rise as the interconnection of various devices will add complexity to the internet.

Q. What is your current favourite App./Technology and reason you find it useful/enjoyable? Favourite App is the WhatsApp messenger. I use it for socialising with friends, workmates and family who are all over different countries. It is easy for anyone to use as it is free and internationally available. It allows me to remain close to my loved ones, as I can create distinct groups according to how I would want to interact with different groups. I find it so easy to send text, voice messages, make voice and video calls, share images, documents as it supports instant messaging and voice-over-IP.

Some of Munya’s areas of expertise, interests and professional activities are included below.

Area of expertise: Munya’s area of expertise include Networks, Mobile Technologies, Operating Systems & Hardware, Routing and Switching, Programming in Java, Software Engineering with Objects, and C.

Interests: Munya’s interests include Computer Networks, Network security, CyberSecurity and Network Operating Systems.

Professional membership: Munya is a member of the ‘Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA)’.

For more information about Munya and his area of expertise, interests and research, please click-here.

Welcome Munya, thank you for sharing the information above, for joining the Applied Computing team at UWTSD and for supporting our students.

Staff profile: Divya Chidambaram

Divya Chidambaram

The Applied Computing team at UWTSD are thrilled to welcome a number of new members to the team. This post features ‘Divya Chidambaram‘ one of our new Computing Lecturers.

Divya has kindly answered some questions to share her passion for Computing & technology below:

What inspires you most about Technology? Technology has been inspiring me since my childhood as it keeps evolving as per the needs. On both personal and professional level, it had always assisted me in time management, collaboration, with the aid of various gadgets and applications. During lockdown scenario, technological tools enabled me to set up ‘work from home’ and thus I could maintain a seamless productive workflow.

What is your current favourite App./Tool/Technology and why? I have many favourites. However, what immediately comes to my mind is ‘LogicLike’, a learning app for kids. What I like about it is that it is quite interactive and its gamified interface helps children to become better problem solvers. As a parent, I like it and encourage my kids to use it’s enriched content.

How do you think Technology is changing and will change the world for the better? In my opinion, I have seen technology constantly evolving by providing ways to do our work smarter. While I have seen personal comfort, technological innovations have undoubtedly contributed toward societal progress as well. I certainly believe that changes in technology will be good. Being a computer academician, I think Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will become an indispensable foundation and most innovative products or process would rely on them targeting augmented workflow.

Divya’s areas of expertise, interests and professional activities are included below.

Area: Divya is a seasoned computer science professor with over 9 years of teaching experience at university level. Divya’s is passionate about teaching and helping students reach their full potential and her area of expertise is in computer science, programming and advanced software engineering.

Interests: Divya’s areas of interest include Web Design and Development, Databases, and Software Development.

Academic membership & publications: Divya is a member of ‘The Society of Digital Information and Wireless Communications (SDIWC) and the Engineers Registration Board. Divya has published journal papers in the areas of Grid Computing, Technology for education and Cloud Service Orchestration.

Welcome Divya, thank you for sharing some information about you and for joining the Applied Computing team at UWTSD.

For more information please click-here.

Graduate profile: Nathan Chaplin (Games design)

Nathan Chaplin

Q. What is your Name? Nathan Chaplin

Q. What was your university course?  Creative Computer Games Design

Q. What is your job title and role?  VR / AR Content Designer – To create content for VR application and AR application to allow people to have immersive experiences.

Q. Can you briefly describe the organisation you work for? UWTSD – University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

Q. Which skills learned at university are helpful to you in your job? Unreal Engine is a huge part of what I learnt in university to what I use today, it taught me how to create applications within it, but most importantly how to create VR (Virtual Reality) applications and how VR works. 

I have learnt so many skills from this course which I use within my job role. I didn’t just learn how software is used but also pipelines, team work and deadlines for projects and how to manage each part of them correctly.

Q. Do you have a typical day and how would you describe it? Every day is slightly different but has a similar workflow. I work to produce VR applications, but every day includes working on the next new mechanic. 

Q. What aspects of your job do you enjoy most? Working within Unreal Engine, as I get to create content which people get to experience and enjoy.

Q. Do you have any advice for students who would like to start a Career? Always look forward, keep working on the subject even if it a little bit. Each little bit of progress made is the right step in a career that you want.

Q. A Quote that sums up your time at the University? Success is made of small efforts repeated day in and day out, just don’t give up!.

For more information about Applied Computing courses at UWTSD please click-here.

Emerging Trends Lecture: Complex Autonomous Robotic Systems

The Applied Computing Team at UWTSD, had the pleasure of welcoming Dr Rob Deaves (below), a visiting Professor of Robotics Systems Architectures to deliver a Guest Lecture on Complex Autonomous Robotic Systems.

The talk covered many related areas and enabled listeners to enhance their knowledge and skills in the following topics:

* Robotic components in a mass market commercial robot;
* Usefulness of visualisation tools;
* Testing campaigns based on simulation, prototyping and trials;
* Product and support systems;
* Appreciation of what is required to take research to product.

“In recent years autonomous robots are starting to provide useful functions for society. Future developments will be really exciting allowing robotics to help address the UN sustainability goals!”  – Dr Rob Deaves, RAEng Visiting Professor of Robotics Systems Architectures.

Dr. Rob Deaves, Guest Lecture at UWTSD Swansea, School of Applied Computing.

About: Dr Rob Deaves is a Dyson Robotics Architect from Imperial College London.

The Applied Computing Team would like to thank Dr. Deaves for taking the time to share his knowledge and experience with our staff and students. The lecture was organised by UWTSD Computing Lecturer Dr. Nitheesh Kaliyamurthy as part of the Emerging Trends module, a final year module on all Computing degree courses.

For more information about our courses please click-here.