Have you tried turning it off and on?

Holding out his hands with a huge grin plastered across his face, Josh was handed a faulty hard drive that needed replacing. Not many people get to visit the data storage facilities that house CPL — Choice, Passion, Life’s data, but for Josh, this opportunity was one he may never forget.  

With a huge interest in Information and communications technology (ICT) and coding, Josh was ecstatic at the opportunity to spend the day with CPL’s ICT team.  Josh learnt the ins and outs with Nick, the ICT Systems Engineer, where the pair spent the day working together as members of the ICT team at CPL, with Josh being shown the behind-the-scenes secrets that help keep the organisation running efficiently.  

Having an interest in computers and coding is a trait both Nick and Josh share, and Nick was able to sit down with Josh to show him how diverse a day in the ICT department can be. They went through the applications that are used, the portals used to monitor the systems and analysing data to help them work more efficiently.   

Josh learnt so much from Nick, who he says is an incredible teacher.

“I immediately knew that we were going to get on great” said Josh of spending his day with Nick.   

“Being provided the chance to spend the day with someone in ICT and learn what they do was a great opportunity” Josh said.  

For Nick, the highlight was chatting to Josh at the end of the day and offering to help him in his studies at TAFE. 

“Josh seemed excited, which made me remember when I was first getting into ICT” said Nick. 

After getting a Diploma of ICT (Networking) and then an entry level role as IT Support for a small organisation, Nick said the rest of his skills were gained on the job through a mixture of training courses and experience over time.  

For Josh, his interest in coding and IT started at a young age. He created his first video game while in primary school by following an instruction book on coding and was captivated.   

“Thinking about it now, it’s kind of like Lego where I’d be learning these techniques. They tell me to do this, let’s see how that works” he said.    

“With regular coding, you probably don’t use an instruction book, but I guess that is where it started for me. Where I’d be coding and then before long, I’d make a full-on game”  

After learning how the ICT department operates, the real fun started when Josh and Nick visited the secured ranks of the data centre. This building houses all of CPL’s hard drives for every service location, which works as a back-up of files used on all CPL computers. Additionally, Nick had coordinated a technician to meet them on-site to replace a faulty tape drive in the back-up server, which Josh was lucky enough to hold.  

Nick ran through the mechanics of what the data storage centre does and was able to get a photo of Josh holding the hard drive that was being replaced. 

 “He loved that facility, not a lot of people from CPL have access to these areas which require a thumb print and an access card throughout the building” Nick said.   

Nick and Josh spent a fair bit of time in the data storage centre, teaching Josh how the cabinets that house the servers are opened, and watching the IT services officer replace the faulty hard drive.  

Being provided the chance to spend the day with someone in ICT and learn what they do was a great opportunity for Josh and provided him with options for his future study.  

Josh is currently focusing on finishing his studies as well as completing a Certificate III in ICT but says future plans could involve completing a Diploma in ICT.  

“Nick offered that if I ever struggled with ICT, then I could contact him, and he would help me out”. said Josh.  

Learning what Nick does in his job showed Josh the variety in a role within ICT. For a creative thinker like Josh, a career in ICT might be the perfect path for him. 

“I wish him all the best and hope he gets into IT, as it’s always evolving meaning you are always learning” Nick said.  

For Josh to have the opportunity to spend time with Nick and experience employment in the Tech Industry, is one that he will never forget. He was able to come away from his day knowing that there are people that will support him, who are invested in him, and value what he has to offer.  

And Josh has some final words for people looking for work. “It is going to be very difficult. But if you get there, and if you try really, really hard, you will get to that point where you not only have a job, but you’re a valuable member of your workforce”. 

At Mylestones, we’re passionate about finding employment for people with disabilities and barriers so they can chase the best in life.

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Published by the CPL Team
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Josh is standing in front of servers holding a hard drive and smiling at the camera with his thumbs up