Year 10 and Year 12 students stepped into the world of industry yesterday as they took part in an exciting Regeneration Project Challenge Day, delivered in partnership with leading organisations from the Digital Futures Programme.
The full-day event, led by Yondr and supported by employer partners CyrusOne, DataX Connect, VIRTUS, JLL, Vertiv, LMG and Digital Realty, gave students the opportunity to tackle a real-world regeneration brief inspired by the redevelopment of a former power station site into a modern, self-contained smart city.
Working in teams, students were challenged to develop innovative proposals that combined housing, business, leisure facilities, sustainability and digital infrastructure. Teams were asked to redesign and repurpose the site while considering how it could become a secure, technologically advanced and environmentally sustainable community for the future.
Throughout the day, employer volunteers worked alongside students, providing mentoring, technical expertise and industry insight. Students benefited from hearing about a variety of career pathways within the data centre and digital infrastructure sectors, including information on apprenticeships, work experience opportunities, salaries and the wide range of job roles available across the industry.
Challenge Days are designed to give students a genuine insight into the world of work by allowing them to apply classroom learning to real-life scenarios.
Over the course of the day, students developed and demonstrated a wide range of employability skills including teamwork, communication, leadership, problem solving, creativity, time management and presentation skills. Teams were encouraged to allocate professional roles such as project manager, designer, finance lead and sustainability manager, creating a workplace experience.
The challenge culminated in a series of presentations, where teams pitched their ideas to a panel of employer judges. Students showcased their proposals, site designs, sustainability plans, financial considerations and marketing strategies, while answering questions from industry professionals.
Employers praised the creativity, professionalism and enthusiasm shown by students throughout the event, with many impressed by the innovative solutions presented and the confidence demonstrated when pitching ideas.
Members of the winning teams were awarded Amazon vouchers along with Yondr merchandise.
UTC Heathrow would like to extend a huge thank you to Yondr, CyrusOne, DataX Connect, VIRTUS, JLL, Vertiv, LMG and Digital Realty for volunteering their time, knowledge and expertise. Their continued support through the Digital Futures Programme plays a vital role in helping students understand the opportunities available within the rapidly growing digital infrastructure sector and preparing them for successful future careers.
