You asked and we’ve listened!
Say hello to the new adult Mission to Mars
Have you ever wanted to attend our Mission to Mars events but been gutted you’re over the age limit? You’re not alone!
Well, we have some exciting news for you – now you can get your hands on our marvellous Mars rovers robot as we’re launching our new Mission to Mars for adults – how cool is that?
What is Mission to Mars all about?
We’ve been running Missions to Mars for years as a work experience programme.
We found that there were lots of students wanting to do software development work experience, but unfortunately, the local tech companies were struggling to provide valuable and meaningful work for them to do while juggling their busy workloads.
So, Tech Cornwall and its members banded together to create an amazing (and useful) experience for students interested in tech. This is why we developed our Missions to Mars.
And, not to toot our own horn, but we’ve made quite an impact!
We’ve helped over 350 students experience being part of simulated tech startups since 2017, with the help of local tech businesses.
We were even awarded Best Education Initiative in the 2018 Tech South West awards and we’re a Cornwall Council Platinum Work Experience Provider – so you know we know what we’re doing.
“The Mission to Mars week provides a fantastic experience for learners where they gain experience of what It is like to be a “real” software developer. We find that Mission to Mars is a great opportunity for learners to gain practical key skills in programming and team working which is invaluable in future practice. Learners thoroughly enjoy the Mission to Mars experience and are incredibly proud of everything they achieve across the week.”
– Naomi Johns, Programme Manager, Truro and Penwith College
Who are our adult Missions to Mars for?
At every Mission to Mars we run, without fail, we hear adult helpers saying they wish they’d had something like this when they were younger. Or that they wish they could bring their team from work to one to experience it.
So, you know what? We listened!
That’s why we’re launching our new adult Missions to Mars for:
- individuals who are digitally inquisitive and interested in exploring a tech career
- tech companies and Tech Cornwall members who are interested in running team-building sessions
- colleges who want to augment their courses with a Mission to Mars experience
- organisations, universities, and companies who want to upskill their employees
Oh, and the even better news is – we can run these events in person or remotely, so if you’re part of a distributed team you don’t need to miss out!
What happens on an adult Mission to Mars
The Mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a company that builds rovers that will be sent to Mars. The good news is the machines are already built for you, the hardware is ready, you just need to get the software to work – and that’s where the Mission to Mars workshop comes in.
You’ll split up into teams, create your companies and come up with a kick-ass name along with effective company values. You’re awarded some seed money which you’ll use to access operational time on the rovers, to make the experience as realistic as possible.
You’ll be given everything you need to programme the rovers as well as all the kit you need to build the electronic circuit (that emulates the real Mars rover!).
Need to test your code? No worries, you can test it for free but you will need to budget testing time on the rovers.
Need more cash? You will be rewarded Core Coins for every completed task. There are 18 things you need to accomplish including following the light, driving in a dead straight line, and stopping before driving off a cliff.
You’ll also have first-hand experience with mob programming, standups, and retrospectives, meaning you get the experience of being part of an Agile team.
But what does all this mean for you and your team?
You’ll get to experience a hands-on type of team building (that doesn’t get you muddy!)
You can even use the adult Mission to Mars as a recruitment tool to assess how well your prospective employees work as part of a team.
How do I get involved?
Like the sound of this? We don’t blame you!
We’ll create a bespoke experience for you and your team, so please contact us for more details and package prices. There may also be some funding available through the Employer Led Skills Project, which we can talk you through.
Drop us a line to [email protected] or complete our contact form. And we’ll come back to you.