Year 11 learners from Harrow College recently enjoyed a day out in Canary Wharf at the head offices of Thompson Reuters. The visit was in recognition of the students winning a TechBac challenge earlier this year.
The day at Thompson Reuters – the organisation that championed the challenge - consisted of a site tour including the Design Lab where staff observe customers interacting with their products, as well as the news floor where students had the opportunity to sit in the studio chairs used by hosts and guests. The learners also participated in various workshops where they networked with graduates and senior professionals.
The Harrow College learners won the City & Guilds TechBac Team Challenge back in March 2015 when they were set a brief of creating their own political party ahead of the 2015 general elections. The task tested their teamwork, presentation and communication skills and it was the party political campaign of 'We Are One' which really impressed the judges at Thomson Reuters.
Daniel Jenkins was one of the winning team members from Harrow College who was fascinated with technology he saw at the Thompson Reuters offices. He commented "It was really interesting seeing all of the different types of technology that has been used over time and how technology worked back then compared to now. It's amazing to see how much the world has developed".
Thomas Brosnan, Skills Centre Lecturer at Harrow College, said: "The challenge and the visit to Thompson Reuters was an amazing experience for the learners. This was a very rare opportunity and highlighted the significance of being a part of the TechBac programme which really has opened doors for the students and will continue to do so".