A group of students from Ashton Sixth Form College visited Cisco to join their 'Pathway to Your Future' Work Experience programme.

Cisco is an American technology company with headquarters in California's world-renowned Silicon Valley. They have been manufacturing and developing hardware, software and products since 1984 and now employ over 75,000 people globally (cisco.com).

During their 4 days of work experience, students from Ashton joined other women from colleges across Manchester to learn more about the technology industry. The programme focused on female students to encourage more women to pursue careers in the technology industry. Many of the students who successfully gained a place from Ashton are currently studying A-Levels in Computer Science or IT. 

Students met a range of individuals from the company who shared their experiences in the tech industry, including the Head of Customer Experience, Solution Integration Architects and others. Apprentices who gained their position at the company via a similar work experience programme, also spoke about their experience and encouraged the students to make the most of the incredible opportunity. 

On arrival students were introduced to one another and began a series of activities. Students were set to work on projects which they then had to present back to the group. They were required to problem solve, communicate and work as part of a team to achieve a shared goal. Henna Hussain from Ashton Sixth Form College who took part in the work experience week said, 

I got along immediately with my group after sharing a simple idea that bonded us together. Though our idea was aimed at children, the staff have praised us for our teamwork and creativity.

Following their projects, students then shadowed a member of the Cisco team to see how some of the industry experts operate, of which Henna shadowed a Network Engineer. This was a great experience to allow students to understand how the company works day-to-day and how each team member contributes to Cisco's success.

On the final day, students visited Mi-IDEA Manchester Science Park, "an innovation centre located at the heart of Manchester Science Park" (mi-idea.com). 

Henna spoke highly of the programme and encouraged others to get involved in similar programmes stating, 

These will help you out for what to put on your CV. Make the most of the speed networking which boosts your communication and confidence. Cisco isn't just about technology, but also a lot of things like business, so go ahead and try it out! You'll meet some amazing people.

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