CLYDEBANK cyber security students put their skills to the test as they took part in a hackathon.

Students from West College Scotland’s (WCS) Cyber Security program recently participated in the Green Coding Ape Room Challenge, organised by global digital services company Accenture.

The challenge celebrated Global Tech Week and pushed students to leverage their coding skills to solve problems while acknowledging the principles of green coding.

Green coding prioritises energy efficiency, reduced resource consumption, and minimised carbon footprint in software development.

Giuseppe Peurgia, a former WCS student and current Accenture employee led the event.

He was joined by Hayley Menzies, another former college student who has started on year one of an apprenticeship with Accenture.

Joe Harkins, computing curriculum and quality leader, hailed the day as a success.

He said: "Having former students return to share their industry experiences is invaluable.

“The Accenture graduate scheme is an excellent programme that offers our students a unique opportunity to gain practical experience alongside their studies, with the added benefit of earning while they learn.

“Accenture's commitment to nurturing talent from the college is evident, with plans to return next year to recruit more successful students from both the Greenock and Clydebank campuses.

“I know a few of the students who attended today have already applied for the apprenticeship and hopefully they are successful with the next stage of their journey in cyber security.”

Max Simeon, an 18-year-old HND Cyber Security student, said: "Overall, the event was enjoyable, and the class gained important knowledge about the graduate apprenticeship that Accenture was advertising and hosted challenging but fun activities."

James MacColl, who also attended the event, added that it was “well worth going to”.

The 34-year-old commented: "It was a good day, interesting to try and code problems even though I didn't know much code.

“It was a fun day and well catered for with good info about Accenture. Well worth going."

For more information about WCS’s Cyber Security programs visit the college’s website HERE.