We’re on a mission to make learning about tech exciting and accessible for young people. So far, our workshops, career fairs, school assemblies, and work experiences have helped over 30,000 young people across Cornwall explore their passions, develop new skills, and in many cases, pursue careers in tech.
Of course, it’s easy for us to tell you all about the benefits of participating in these programmes, but we’d rather show you! Join us for this student success series, where we catch up with our young graduates to see what it’s actually like taking part in our Youth Programmes.
Meet The Student
Introducing Jake Learner, participant of our July 2024 Mission to Mars work experience.
Mission to Mars is all about hands-on tech experimentation, team challenges, getting to know local tech professionals and taking on a Big Project. The perfect opportunity for self-proclaimed sci-fi movie lover, Jake, to get stuck in. He’s always wanted a career in tech — he just wasn’t sure in what capacity. Maybe cyber security? Perhaps coding or robotics? Joining Mission to Mars was the first step towards getting clear on his own tech pathway, offering a chance to explore the ways in which he could work in the tech industry.
The Programme
According to Jake, his cohort started each morning with daily ‘stand-ups’, a “fun and collaborative approach to meetings to increase ‘employee’ productivity”. For the uninitiated, a stand-up is a meeting shortened by simply having everyone standing up! It’s a simple method to keep meetings short, sweet, and to the point.
Aside from the team challenges, Jake and the other students met and worked with lots of tech professionals, giving them the chance to have genuine conversations, ask meaningful questions and get advice from those with valuable experience in the tech industry. One such piece of advice Jake implemented was to keep a notebook on him at all times, so he could jot down thoughts and ideas for his future projects. He also enjoyed meeting with several companies within the AI industry, which he said “allowed me to hone my understanding of machine learning and GPTs”.
A highlight for Jake was his work experience at Buzz Interactive, a bespoke software development company. Through Buzz, Jake learnt about web and app software development, improved his Arduino knowledge (an open-source electronics platform for building robots!) and finally got started on his Big Project…
The Big Project
Aptly named C.L.A.W, Jake’s project objective was to create a 90% 3D printed robotic arm, embedded with his own software and upgrades. He hoped the arm would eventually be a cheap alternative to a prosthetic, with a unique twist — a ‘shadow function’ which will track hand positioning and store the action for later use, creating more natural movement for the user.
Most challenging for Jake was the 3D printing and refining of the model. He explained that “robotics are very intricate and often tedious, but with hard work, dedication, and of course a good playlist, I completed the robotic arms, and reinforced each core component”.
As for his favourite part of the project, he found experimenting with the back-end software development most exciting; “I would code and debug several programs for the arm such as joystick control or hand tracking, which more often than not ended in failure — before getting it spot on!”
With his Buzz Interactive mentor, Jake got to see some real-life examples of projects similar to his, and was inspired to redesign his website, updating it weekly to showcase his ongoing projects and interest in the industry. They also encouraged him to document his work on Github, and interact with other coders.
Where Is Jake Now?
He’s currently entering the prototyping phase for an exoskeleton that uses artificial muscles to help support people with mobility issues, by integrating pneumatic systems with Arduino relays. In the future, he plans to build the bicep and implement his own take on the McKibben muscle, which if successful, means that the majority of the arm could be powered by water! How’s that for next-generation innovation?
As for his career goals, he hopes to work hands-on with robotic systems as a back end software developer, whilst building his own new projects in his makeshift Foundry.
Find out more and follow Jake’s journey — click here to visit his website.
Reflecting on his Mission to Mars experience, Jake said “the work experience and support has helped me to understand new tech horizons, whether that’s new software languages or new segments of the industry itself. As a whole, it’s helped give me the drive to push my limits with these projects. I’d advise other young tech enthusiasts to reach out — there’s no harm in asking for help or looking for work experience placements like Mission to Mars”.
Want to get involved in a Tech Jam or see what you’d get up to in Mission to Mars? Click here to find out how!
