ICT graduate gains success through WIL program

With work placements incorporated into the learning journey at Kangan Institute, it's no wonder that our students are sought by employers as soon as they graduate.

Information communications technology (ICT) graduate Troy McGuinness discovered this firsthand after gaining employment at John Fawkner College where he completed his work placement.

He was part of Kangan Institute's Work Integrated Learning (WIL) initiative which provides ICT students with the opportunity to undertake work placement with industry partners whilst completing their final year of the diploma or advanced diploma.

Troy, who lives in Attwood, said that the WIL program gives students a valuable opportunity to gain real world skills. "The program is an excellent initiative undertaken by Kangan Institute.

The classroom can only teach you so much and WIL gives students the opportunity to get their hands dirty in information technology," he said. The thirty-seven year old has always had a passion for information technology and found his experience at Kangan Institute to be highly rewarding. "I found the learning environment to be very friendly; it is geared to accommodate all levels of skill.

The teachers all have industry experience which they convey to the students extremely well," he said. "Since finishing the Advanced Diploma of Information Technology (Network Security) at Kangan Institute in December 2011, I have not been out of a job. Kangan Institute gave me the skills to succeed."

Troy is currently enjoying his work at a local computer technician at the college which involves helping teachers and students with their IT issues whilst allowing him to share his love of IT. He aspires to become a technical specialist for the education department (also known as a TSSP) in the future. When asked if he had any advice for students keen to pursue a career in ICT, Troy shared that gaining relevant and practical experience was essential.

"Gain as much experience as you can with virtualisation and Microsoft servers as they dominate the industry, especially exchange server and sharepoint which are used in both the corporate and government sectors," he shared.

The WIL initiative has placed more than 100 ICT students since its inauguration, with many participating students offering full-time work following their placement.