Digital Technologies Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher Technical Qualification (HNC)

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If you want to work in the digital, computing and IT industry, this new Level 4 higher technical qualification (HTQ) will give you the skills and knowledge you need to apply for a job in the sector or progress to university to study for a relevant degree.

And, if you already work in the industry and want to further improve your skills to boost your promotion prosepcts, this is the course you need.

HTQs are new qualifications and are developed in conjunction with employers so you can be sure that the skills you will gain are what are crucial to the digital economy and what businesses look for when recruiting staff.

You will further expand your IT knowledge and develop a range of dynamic skills essential for working in the sector - including programming, networking, digital transformation and artificial intelligence - and, as well as technical skills you will also develop a range of employability skills to prepare you for your next step in the industry.

To access the course you are required to have a Level 3 qualification in a computing-related area such as:

ICT BTEC National Extended Diploma OR
Digital Support T Level OR
Computing A Level

In addition, you will also be required to have GCSE English and maths at grade 4 or above.

Consideration will also be given to applicants who have a relevant Level 3 apprenticeship or an Access to Higher Education qualification, as well as mature students without the necesssary qualifications who have experience of working in the computing/IT sector.

During the programme you will study the following modules:

Professional practice in the digital economy
Innovation and digital transformation
Cyber security
Programming
Big Data & Visualisation
Cloud Fundamentals
Software Development Lifecycles
Fundamentals of artificial intelligence (AI) & intelligent systems (optional)

During the programme you will:

Look at several tools and techniques that organisations use to transform and become more innovative in their approach to digital technology.
Explore the nature of cybercrime and cyber threat actors, investigate roles and responsibilities in relation to information assurance, assess the threats to, and vulnerabilities in, ICT infrastructure; and investigate strategic responses to cyber security threats
Learn the fundamentals of networking and how to put theory into practice by exploring a range of hardware, with related software, and will configure and install these to gain knowledge of networking systems.
Analyse an existing system and use this as a basis to design and implement a database
Learn the core concepts of programming and how to develop algorithms and programmes to solve real-world problems
Investigate AI fundamentals, including data gathering, validation and processing and how the results can be visualised and explained. You will develop a skillset to study deployed intelligent systems and evaluate technical and ethical challenges and opportunities.
Define a project, create project plans, set up the delivery of a project, execute and review the outputs, and understand the outcomes and how the project fits into the wider business planning strategy of an organisation.
Learn flexible and transferable specialised techniques and underpinning knowledge directly relevant to the IT and computing profession in which you are currently working or hope to work in the future
Develop a range of interpersonal skills essential for success in your working life
Explore the importance of professional development for career success and the benefits of working towards goals.

Throughout the course you will be assessed in the following ways:

Assessments after each module
Report writing
Presentations
Live project work
Case studies.

Marks from all assessments will contribute to the final grade that you will receive on completion of the course.

Successful completion of the course will enable you to progress to:

A job in the computing/IT industry
Higher level apprenticeship
Computing Level 5 HTQ (HND)
BSc (Hons) Computing
BSc Data Science
BSc (Hons) Business Computer Systems
BEng (Hons) Software Engineering
BSc (Hons) Cyber Security and Forensic Computing

We have excellent feedback from previous students, many of whom have gone on to become network technicians, web developers, games programmers and database developers, whilst others have become tutors or run their own businesses.