It’s 8 a.m. on a Thursday in September, and the excitement is building in the Arineo conference room. Today, as every year, the Hacker School is about to begin. For our trainees, this means guiding pupils through their projects and sharing insights about their daily work as developers.
Prepping for the big day
Preparations for this day start well in advance. For example, our trainees receive Arduino training to ensure they can answer questions and support the pupils effectively. Additionally, schedules are organized, the day’s flow is planned, and ways to present the tasks of IT specialists are brainstormed. To ensure that our trainees are technically up to date and confident communicators, they participate in presentation training and engage in knowledge-sharing sessions.
What is an Arduino?
Arduinos usually consist of a circuit board with a microcontroller, essentially a mini-PC with software that can be used to write simple programs. We use small “starter kits” that include the so-called Arduino Uno board and various standard components.
From concept to prototype
The Hacker School aims to introduce pupils to the core aspects of development work in a fun and engaging way, from requirements analysis to technical problem-solving and application presentation. For the participants, this means stepping out of their school routine for a day to work in small groups and program a prototype. Our trainees provide guidance and support whenever questions arise. And, of course, fun is a big part of the day—whether it’s building LEGO mounts or enjoying a pizza together at lunchtime. Every year, our trainees are amazed and proud of the creative solutions the pupils come up with as they work in small groups to tackle the assignments using Arduinos. Just like in real life. The teams then present their solution. Not to the customer, as in real developer life, but to a few colleagues
who take the time to evaluate the projects in terms of creativity, technical implementation, and feasibility.
Teamwork makes the dream work
We consistently find that these small teams develop cool ideas and come up with fantastic solutions. Incidentally, this mirrors real-life development work, where teamwork and collaboration with colleagues are essential. True to our core value, “Focus on people,” our trainees focus on supporting the students.
Programs like Hacker School also provide our trainees an excellent opportunity to showcase, reflect on, and expand their training content in a unique setting. Of course, there’s no shortage of fun. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Hacker School, enthusiastic trainees eager to participate, and, most importantly, fresh ideas from curious pupils.
The Arineo Hacker School is open to school classes
If you’re a pupil interested in participating in the Hacker School, simply contact Eileen Zimbal at bewerbung@arineo.com for more information. If you want to help shape a Hacker School as a trainee, simply apply for one of our apprenticeships.
Does an apprenticeship at Arineo sound interesting?
Then send us your application. We are looking forward to getting to know you.
