GCHQ Apprentices lay down the challenge at The Times Cheltenham Science Festival - 07 Jun 2012

GCHQ APPRENTICE technologists and industrial placement students have designed and created a number of challenges and puzzles to test the public’s problem-solving skills for The Times Cheltenham Science Festival to be held from 12-17 June 2012.

 

Located in the Discover Zone at the Town Hall, GCHQ’s stand will contain a number of interactive games, puzzles and challenges that our apprentices and students designed and built themselves in their own time. The games include a safe with many locks, which can only be opened through a knowledge of mental arithmetic and GCHQ’s history, and a Cyber Breach Game where the object is to stop an attack on UK computer systems by overcoming five code-breaking and logic puzzles.

 

Creating the games for the Festival deadline proved an excellent development opportunity for our young engineers and tested their project management, team working and creative skills. Importantly, it also supports the project work that the GCHQ apprentice technologists undertake at Gloucester College. 

 

Rob (20), an industrial placement student, who created the Cyber Breach Game said: “Creating and building this game from scratch was a real challenge for me and hopefully it will inspire and motivate others”.

 

GCHQ’s Director General for Technology and Capability said: “The Cheltenham Science Festival is always a valuable event for GCHQ and it’s a real pleasure to provide support to it again this year. It allows us to demonstrate to the public the creativity and ingenuity of GCHQ’s engineering students, and shows that problem solving can be fun. We hope that people come along, take up the challenge and enjoy themselves at the GCHQ stand.”

 

 

 

GCHQ is one of the three UK Intelligence Agencies and works to protect the UK’S national security interests. It has been engaging with the local community and supporting voluntary work for many years.

 

To find out more about GCHQ, please visit: www.gchq.gov.uk

  

 

GCHQ run Higher Apprenticeship schemes in IT, Software, Internet & Telecomms skills as well as sponsorships and placements. To find out more please visit:

http://www.gchq-careers.co.uk

  

 

The Cheltenham Science Festival 2012 will run from 12-17 June.  The Discover Zone is a main feature of the Festival and is billed as “Interactive Science for all ages” and is a free interactive exhibition space in Cheltenham Town Hall.

 

For more information on the Cheltenham Science Festival please visit: http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/science

 

For more information please contact the GCHQ Press Office