High-demand IT skills being developed at innovative summer camp

Novosco Cloud Camp in partnership with Almac Group returns

The IT engineers of tomorrow are being ‘hothoused’ at an innovative IT infrastructure summer camp this week (7th – 11th August 2017).

Following its successful first year in 2016, Novosco Cloud Camp in partnership with Almac Group returns this week at Belfast Metropolitan College’s Titanic Quarter Campus.

The five-day summer camp, which is free to students aged 16-17 who are enrolled at schools and colleges throughout Northern Ireland, provides first-hand experience in the management and development of IT infrastructure in a fun learning environment.

Professional IT engineers and Belfast Met lecturers are facilitating the camp, which also includes a tour of Novosco’s headquarters at Catalyst in Belfast to allow students to see a world-class managed cloud company in action.

In addition to free registration, all participants are being provided with a free Raspberry Pi computer to keep.

Areas being covered at Novosco Cloud Camp include: networking, Python programming, basic HTML programming, and creating virtual servers.

At the end of the camp, students can keep their individual Raspberry Pi mini computers to continue practicing and honing the skills learned at the camp.

Novosco Managing Director, Patrick McAliskey, said: “Cloud Camp was a real success in 2016 and again we’ve had a big response this year in terms of applicants. We know that there is demand for IT skills in Northern Ireland and that this will grow. But it is evident from the registrations we’ve had in Cloud Camp that there is also real interest in IT careers.

“At Novosco we work hard to develop and retain the expertise we have, but with that comes the responsibility to support the development of the next generation of IT infrastructure engineers, skilled cloud technicians and future project managers. Novosco Cloud Camp is just one part of our commitment to supporting the future of the industry and growing the talent pool in Northern Ireland.

“We are delighted to be working with Almac Group and Belfast Met once again, who too share our commitment to developing the skills of the future in Northern Ireland.”

Andrew Hillis, Group Head of Information Services at Almac Group, commented: “Providing an extensive range of integrated services to the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors globally is built upon sound IT infrastructure. Some of the skills that young people are learning at Cloud Camp are crucial to the day-to-day operations of our international organisation. We’re thrilled to play our part alongside Novosco to stimulate interest in IT and encourage potential future employees.

Belfast Metropolitan College’s Principal and CEO, Marie-Thérèse McGivern, added: “It is a privilege to once again host the Novosco Cloud Camp, in partnership with Almac Group, this summer at our Titanic Quarter Campus.

“The college has a rich history in delivering comprehensive courses in ICT and guiding students along the path to future employment for some of Northern Ireland’s leading companies. We are really looking forward to welcoming this year’s campers and supporting them on their informative journey using our excellent facilities and top-class lecturers working alongside Novosco’s talented IT infrastructure engineers.”

Novosco is a managed cloud provider with clients in the public, private and voluntary sectors across the UK and Ireland, including Premiership football teams, police forces, some of the UK’s largest health trusts and many of Northern Ireland’s top companies.

Employing 150 people, Novosco has offices in Belfast, Manchester, Dublin, and Cork.

Novosco was recently shortlisted for ‘Best Cloud Support Provider’ in the 2017 Computing Cloud Excellence Awards – the only Northern Ireland company to make the shortlist.

For more information on Novosco, visit novosco.com.

For more information on the Novosco Cloud Camp, in partnership with Almac Group, visit novoscocloudcamp.com.

 

ENDS