Last week, our T Level Digital Support Services (DSS) students took part in an incredible competition delivered by our T Level DSS employer partner, Voktis. This hands-on experience was designed to give our Year 1 and Year 2 students a unique opportunity to tackle a real-world IT infrastructure project – complete with mentorship, teamwork, and real-life industry challenges!
The Project: Building IT Infrastructure from the Ground Up
In this competition, students were tasked with designing a comprehensive IT infrastructure plan for a new office with 25 staff. The requirements included setting up servers, firewall security, network design, device naming conventions, data storage, and antivirus protection. Students used resources like CBT Nuggets and Cisco’s NetAcad to develop their projects and create:
- A detailed network setup
- Cost documentation
- Security protocols
- Standard software installations
Evaluation Criteria: Bringing It All Together
Certificates for Participation, Winning Team, and Highest Achievement
Students were scored on Presentation, Teamwork, Creativity, Problem-Solving, Project Plan and Documentation, Embedding Tech, and Risk Management. Our Year 2 students mentored the Year 1s, guiding them on best practices in each area while fostering a collaborative and supportive environment.
A Winning Experience!
After showcasing their solutions, all students received certificates of participation, with the winning team awarded Amazon vouchers for their outstanding work. Even better, Voktis identified several promising students for potential T Level placements—an invaluable step toward gaining real-world experience!
Thomas Reidy, TL DSS tutor at The Manchester College, "Our T-Level Digital Support Services learners were thrilled to welcome Voktis for a hands-on competition involving a live network project. Students were tasked with developing a solution to a real-world scenario and then presenting their findings to their peers. Working in teams, they strengthened their communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and IT skills while sharing their ideas with the judging panel. It was an exciting day for our T-Level DSS students, giving them the unique opportunity to work on a live project and present their solutions directly to an industry employer. The experience brought so much value to their curriculum, and the learners gained tremendous insight from their engagement with Voktis."
Nozom Uddin, Operations Director at Voktis with the winning team (Oscar Southgate, Thomas Leach, Vera Nwuwalu, Mahmoud Nassar, Harry Ridgway)
Kinjal Brahmbhatt, Employability and Partnerships Coordinator at The Manchester College, "For our Year 1 students, this competition provides an exciting preview of the practical skills and challenges they’ll tackle throughout the course—it’s a real taster of what’s to come. For Year 2s, it’s a valuable experience in mentorship, allowing them to step up as leaders and share their knowledge. It’s been rewarding to see both groups grow through this project and gain confidence in their technical and teamwork skills."
Thank You to Voktis for Their Time and Expertise
We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Voktis for dedicating their time and expertise. Throughout the week, students not only honed their technical skills but also gained a deeper understanding of Voktis as a company, learning more about industry expectations and gaining confidence in their own abilities. This experience has truly inspired our learners and helped them see the impact they can make in the digital support sector.
We look forward to more opportunities like this to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry relevance!
