Roq, a Quality Engineering Consultancy, is on a mission to inspire and empower young minds with exciting technology careers! And what better way to do it than with their Defectives Secondary School Competition?
This year, Roq hosted the competition in seven local secondary schools, including Penwortham Girls High School, Parklands High School, Preston Muslim Girls High School, Wellfield Academy, All Hallows Catholic High School, Lostock Hall Academy and Balshaw’s Catholic High School. The aim of the competition was to inspire students and help them recognise the benefits of pursuing a career in tech. Over 130 pupils took part in the challenge between June and July, where they had to find defects (bugs/glitches) on live, real-world websites.
Students identified a range of defects, including website accessibility, broken links, grammar issues and missing information. For each defect found, students were awarded three points. Additional points were also granted for their knowledge of Roq as part of a short quiz. The winning school, Balshaw’s Catholic High School, found over 190 defects, earning them an impressive 576 points. All Hallows came in second with 564 points, followed by Lostock Hall with 543 points.
Shaheen Gul, Roq’s Academy Recruitment Specialist, expressed Roq’s passion for improving the lives of young people and providing them with opportunities to pursue a future career in technology. She said, “Our Defectives Secondary School Competitions are just one of the many initiatives we take to support students who want to get into the world of technology. We also host mock interviews, arrange school visits to our offices, attend careers fairs and guest lectures around the UK, and actively promote careers in Quality Engineering.”
The schools were impressed with the competition, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Many students were surprised to learn that they could have a career in tech and enjoyed the hands-on, real-world experience. One student even said, “It was a fun and educational time, which also educated me on a possible career path,” and another commented that “It allowed me to see more into the role of the company and made different pathways clearer.”
As a dedicated team of professionals who are passionate about helping young people discover their potential and make their dreams a reality, Roq is committed to making a positive impact on education and innovation.
