Case studies

I’m learning all about making IT projects work well, managing systems, creating solutions, and understanding how and why companies work with IT. This is all part of the Principal Learning, which is made up of seven areas.

On top of this, I’m doing a BTEC National Award for IT Practitioners for my Additional and Specialist Learning.

I’m doing a three week work experience placement at a local university, working with the Help Desk. It supports staff and students that have IT problems. It’s the kind of job I’d like to do, as I love finding solutions to things.

There’s a summer fete planned at school this year, so for my project I’m going to make a website to help promote it. I like being a bit creative, so this will keep me really busy and let me use my designing skills.

I want to get a job and I’m looking as a start to find work as a trainee IT Help Desk professional. I’ll probably go on to university after working for a bit.

This case study is an illustration of how and why a student might decide to do a Diploma; it does not refer to a real individual. To talk through your own specific study or career goals, you can seek further advice and check local availability with your teacher or Connexions Adviser.

Altogether, there are seven Principal Learning areas to cover. I’ll look at making technology solutions, managing systems, making projects successful and loads more. I’m also doing a BTEC National Award for IT Practitioners as part of the Additional and Specialist Learning. And I’ll still take compulsory subjects like maths and English.

I hope it’s going to show me what working in IT is like. I’ll also spend three weeks with an IT company for work experience. It provides computer services to companies who are not big enough to have their own IT department. I’ll get to have a go at everything, including helping to install a computer network.

I love the inventive side of IT and, for my project, I want to look into new ways that people can use their computers - other than with a mouse or a keyboard. I have an idea about an infra-red interaction device which I want to make a prototype of to show my class.

I think I’ll try to get into the IT business as quickly as possible. Maybe I’ll go on to get an apprenticeship. I know there is a Higher Apprenticeship for ICT Professionals that I could do. I would just need to find a company to take me on.

This case study is an illustration of how and why a student might decide to do a Diploma; it does not refer to a real individual. To talk through your own specific study or career goals, you can seek further advice and check local availability with your teacher or Connexions Adviser.

For my Principal Learning I’ll be looking at ’the digital world’ - I think this means everything to do with IT and how much people and companies rely on it. I’ll also learn about working with people and multimedia. Finding out how they all fit together will be the best bit.

I’m going to do two work placements as part of my course. The first is at an estate agent’s office, where I’ll see how they’re using ICT to sell houses. And then I’m going to the local FE College to help out in the marketing department.

As part of my Diploma course, I’m also taking a GCSE in Business and Communication Systems. I’ll still do all my KS4 subjects, like maths and English, plus a Certificate in Career planning.

My project the most! One is about people finding jobs on the internet. I’m going to investigate how well recruitment sites do in matching them up. I might do a survey to compare what people need when they look for a job, against what they find on these websites.

A lot of my course is going to be about marketing and using IT to do that. What I’d like to do is perhaps go on to do a job where I can use those skills. Hopefully I can find something that lets me do an NVQ Level 2 in Marketing too.

This case study is an illustration of how and why a student might decide to do a Diploma; it does not refer to a real individual. To talk through your own specific study or career goals, you can seek further advice and check local availability with your teacher or Connexions Adviser.

I’m doing work experience in the research centre of a big telecoms company. I’ll help with the administration work and get to see the research team come up with new ideas.

There are seven areas of Principal Learning that I’ll do for my Diploma course. This is the part where we learn all about our chosen industry. We’ll look at the way companies work with technology and why, as well as the different kinds of technology available and what it can do.

As part of my Additional and Specialist Learning I’m doing a Level 2 Diploma in ICT Systems Support because I like to know how things work and how to fix them if they go wrong.

I play around with websites at home, so for my project I’m looking at why web pages look different in some browsers. I want to write some new HTML code, see what goes wrong and how it can be fixed. I’m going to make a site that helps people design web pages that display correctly on most browsers.

Because I want to start working straight away, I’ll try to get an IT apprenticeship. This means I can learn at the same time as earning money. One day I’d like to have my own web design company.

This case study is an illustration of how and why a student might decide to do a Diploma; it does not refer to a real individual. To talk through your own specific study or career goals, you can seek further advice and check local availability with your teacher or Connexions Adviser.

The Higher Diploma is ideal for me. It introduces the IT business without being too complex. I’m going to learn how to manage projects, the potential for new technology and what kinds of systems are available now. I’ll also find out about different businesses, multimedia, communication and the kind of skills I’ll need to work in them.

I’m taking a Level 3 BTEC Extended Certificate in Information Technology as part of the Additional and Specialist Learning. And I’ll still do maths and English, which is good because I need to get better at both.

My mum’s friend is starting a small hotel business and has asked me to help her decide what IT systems she will need for it. I’m going to research the business needs and possible solutions. Then I’ll make a report of my findings for my project.

I’ve got two work placements booked. One is in a bank and one in a restaurant. I’m going to work with the guy who sorts out both companies’ IT needs, to learn about what each business requires. I like getting out and about and dealing with people so this will be really good.

I will probably stay in education and work on my skills more. It will only take me a year to do my Higher Diploma, so I’d like to go onto complete an Advanced Diploma in IT.

This case study is an illustration of how and why a student might decide to do a Diploma; it does not refer to a real individual. To talk through your own specific study or career goals, you can seek further advice and check local availability with your teacher or Connexions Adviser.