The University of Westminster recently hosted an online student showcase highlighting the work of second-year students who participated in this year’s Work-Based Learning modules. The event was attended by mentors from Sky, who collaborated with students on real-world industry briefs. It gave students from the School of Computer Science and Engineering the opportunity to present their innovative solutions and gain direct feedback from industry professionals.
During the academic year, students studying on the Agile Project Management and Professional Experience module as part of the Business Computing BSc Honours and Cyber Security and Forensics BSc Honours courses were tasked to respond to a design brief from Sky’s Global Apps Engineering team, who currently use Microsoft Excel to manage a list of engineering teams. To support the team students developed detailed wireframes to improve user experience, adaptability and ease of access of the list, tackling challenges such as coordinating between interdependent teams and preventing mistakes in shared data systems used by large numbers of people.
Students from the Software Development Group Project module in the Software Engineering BEng Honours and Computer Science BSc Honours courses were also involved and created a fully implemented web application based on Sky’s Health Check App brief. This tool helps engineering teams assess their performance across key operational areas such as the maintainability and structure of their code, stakeholder relationships and testing processes.
The event was part of the University’s commitment to embedding practical, industry-linked learning experiences into its curriculum, ensuring students graduate with not only academic knowledge but also the hands-on skills demanded by employers.
About the showcase, Industry Project Officer Helena Disu said: “I am incredibly proud of the work our students have presented. This collaboration provided them with the opportunity to tackle a real-world industry challenge, preparing them for the realities of delivering work to a client. Through this experience, they developed not only their technical abilities but also essential professional skills such as teamwork, communication and workplace professionalism, which are key attributes for a successful career in the digital sector.”
Olu Salami, Integration Test Manager at Sky, added: “Students from the University of Westminster presented a series of innovative applications developed for potential use by small teams at Sky. The collaboration between the students and Sky teams was both productive and inspiring, resulting in user-friendly applications with strong potential for real-world use. The presentations highlighted intuitive, team-oriented tools well-suited for Sky’s agile working environment.”
The showcase directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 4: Quality Education. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Westminster.
