30 April 2019
Last month, IT and Computing students from across Greater Manchester went head-to-head at the Greater Manchester College Group (GMCG) Skills Competition, with students from FutureSkills at MediaCityUK coming out on top.
Each year, colleges from across Greater Manchester compete in the GMCG Skills Competitions, which celebrate the exceptional talent of young people studying in the region. Competitions are held in multiple subject areas, from art to construction, media to music, and take place in host colleges across the region.
The computing competition, which was held at The Manchester College, saw students from participating colleges battle it out to design and develop an advanced program for use in industry. A range of algorithms, flow diagrams and code were developed leading to the final programs being made.
Students from FutureSkills excelled themselves in the challenge, creating an App which resembled the voice of ‘Jarvis’ from the Iron Man franchise.
Lee Chadwick, Head of IT, Computing and Games Design at FutureSkills at MediaCityUK, said: “After a very long and stimulating day of challenges, our students came first and won the computing competition. This is the first time that the college has entered the computing category, so to win on the first attempt is a great testament to the students involved.
“The team created a completely inclusive program that overcame visual impairment and input difficulties. It was a great design overall. The speech addition to the program was unique and not in anyone else's work. It was a really advanced application that surpassed all expectations.”
Samuel Graham, Team Captain, and former All Hallows RC High School Pupil, said: “The competition was the perfect opportunity to use all of the skills and experience we have gained in our studies, but in a real-world scenario. I was also able to practice my communication and leadership skills which we are encouraged to develop also at college.
“As a team, we were overjoyed when our project was declared the winner out of all the participating colleges. We encountered challenges of course, but the knowledge we had gained from our course meant we were able to find the solutions quickly, it was a combination of all our hard work that helped us to succeed.
“Everyone within the group enjoyed themselves throughout the project!”
If you’d like to study on an award-winning computing course within the Greater Manchester area, then why not contact the FutureSkills Admissions Team on, 0161 631 5000. 