The Generator's #GreHacks programme provides students with the opportunity to develop core employability skills with real businesses. The two-day hackathons bring together students from across the university to work on challenges, develop core skills and pitch their ideas. This year the programme has collaborated with businesses including Amazon Web Services, iYTAL, Hatch Hubs and the Met Police with students winning real-life opportunities that will help them reach their career goals after graduating.
At the #GreHacks event last December, four students; Malhar Rupavatia, Fariha Ahmed, Carlo Rosillo and Angela Oceja Villa won the opportunity to pitch their ideas at Scotland Yard to Detective Chief Inspector Brian Kelleher and Commander Colin Wingrove. During their visit, they pitched their winning ideas on reforming and reshaping the organisation including developing apps for the community and creating a more diverse recruitment strategy. This was a great opportunity for the students to get experience pitching their ideas in a real work environment with the opportunity to continue working with The Met moving forward. This is something which will no doubt have a huge impact on their next steps when they leave our university.
Programmes Manager Lynette Lisk said of the event 'What a privilege to accompany Fariha Ahmed, Carlo Rosillo, Angela Oceja
Villa and Malhar Rupavatia aka Team Evolution, the winners of the Generator, Criminology, Met Police #GreHacks to New Scotland Yard to present their bold solution for the Met Police to reform and re-engage with communities who have felt let down by the institution.
Team Evolution presented to Commander Colin Wingrove who said their solutions were on par with those from top consultancy firms. This unique opportunity arose from Dr Ella Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology University of Greenwich reaching out to the Generator asking if we could organise a hackathon with the School of Law and Criminology and introducing me to DCI Brian Kelleher. Ella and Brian's passion and commitment to creating a platform to empower students got their colleagues on board and the resulting hackathon which took place at the Generator's co-work space last November was a huge success. Powered by mentorship from Met Police officers, masterclasses from UoG academics and Generator staff our students proved themselves to be accomplished business consultants'
The Generator has plans to continue the collaboration with The Met Police and the Criminology course leaders to provide in-curriculum hackathons for students in the next academic year and hopes to provide more experiences like this to students in the future.
