Tell us a little about yourself and your work.

My name is Jayden, and I am 20 years old. I am currently in the third year of an electrical/automation engineering Degree Apprenticeship with Tata Steel, attending UWTSD one day per week and working full-time at Tata Steel for the rest of my week.

At work, I have been working on the use of IoT smart sensors across the site. I have set up many sensors on an IoT platform and created code scripts & dashboards to aid plant condition monitoring. I am also heavily involved in the roll call system, which is slightly less engineering related but does automate emergency evacuations and daily attendance tracking, along with providing real-time lists of employees/visitors on site. In addition, I set up and configure ‘badge-in’ stations at each site area and maintain the roll call system regularly.

How did you hear about and first engage with the Micro-credentials programme (and other courses) delivered by the Institute of Coding (IoC) & Technocamps?

I initially attended the Fundamentals of Machine learning course in April 2024. I found out about this through my line manager, who had heard from the Institute of Coding in Wales’ Business Liaison, Maria Moller, about the courses and forwarded the email to me. From this point, I kept an eye out for any courses that I felt would benefit me.

What inspired you to get involved and decide to up-skill/re-skill with our courses?

I studied computer science at both GCSE and A-levels, so I have experience in the subject. However, I only ever really studied VB as a coding language due to the course structure and COVID interruptions. After sitting an embedded C module last year for my degree, I struggled and realised there is a gap in my knowledge of other coding languages. Python was also used on some of the automated reporting activities in the department, so I thought it would be useful to gain knowledge to understand these. I undertook the 5-week Python course in June 2025, as there was uncertainty over whether a micro-credential would become available. I then sat the 10-week Python Microcredential course in late 2025.

How do you think the skills and knowledge provided by IoC have benefitted you, and if so, how do you use them in your field or day-to-day work?

The skills I have learnt have benefited me, as I can understand Python code and create code for specific scenarios. As I mentioned, I wanted to improve my knowledge in other coding languages, and I now feel ready/competent to contribute to any Python code that may be required in my workplace.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I enjoyed the level of detail of the course content both times, and both were well-structured. The course deliverers, Luke and Connor, were both helpful and led the courses well, thank you.