Each year, during the Manchester Digital Level Four Software Development Apprenticeship, we like to challenge our apprentices by putting them through a hack challenge.
This year's challenge was to ‘answer a question’ using publicly accessible government data. The apps can answer whatever question they like – they need to link the data into their code to produce an informative or useful app or website.
Our winners, Brandon and Jemma came up with an app that would help guide create routes that revellers home safely from bars.
You can find out more about the winning team's ideas in the video below.
Keep scrolling down to also find pics from the day and a lowdown of the different teams and ideas they had.
Hack Team | Members | Mentor | Approach | How are you finding it |
1 | Dom - Coop Peter - Waters Joe - Auto Trader Fraser - Auto trader | Alec Tunbridge Auto Trader | Implementing a hack solution of questionable morality entitled "If I park here, will I get a ticket?" - mapping parking ticket data against the location. | So far it's quite stressful, as they have hit a few unexpected hiccups. However, they are enjoying the challenge and trying out stuff that is very new and very interesting. |
2 | Brandon - Booking Go Jemma - AT Chris - McCann (absent, but involved in planning) | Alan Mellor - BJSS | Creating a Personal safety App, using data relating to the location of CCTV cameras to allow people to plot a 'safe route' around the city at night. “What is the safest route between bars?” | Brandon and Jemma have been pairing on all aspects of the hack, rather than dividing it up - allowing them to pool their ideas. They are finding it a really enjoyable experience and making great progress. They've already got a functional app - just working on some polish and additional features. |
3 | Johnny - AT Jacky - BookingGo Georgia - (absent, but involved in planning) | Sam Hoole - Zuto | Jacky and Johnny are creating a heat map of crime in the GM area, based on 2018 figures. Users will be able to filter by month and type of crime. Multiple imagined uses - amongst them is home buyers and car insurance premiums. “Where are crime hotspots in GM?” | So far it's a good experience; we are frantically trying to learn about the tech we're implementing. It's a fast-paced challenge.
Shout out to Georgia who couldn't make it today - hope she feels better soon & thanks for the help in planning! |
4 | Jameson - BJSS Tristan - Werkin Jenni - AT Ana - BookingGo (absent but helped with planning) | Callum Leeming - Zuto
(C1 apprentice) | Using data on Food Hygiene standard ratings for restaurants in GM area. They are mapping these and looking at correlations between location and rating. “What correlations exist between location and food hygiene ratings?” | We are finding it frustrating at times - but really gelling as a team and enjoying sharing ideas! |
5 | Brad - Waters Hannah - Coop Jason - AT Max - Foot Asylum | Joel Horton - Booking Go (C1 apprentice) | Using data to map food hygiene ratings across GM - with the possibility for expansion to show the whole of the UK. “Which restaurants are the best rated in GM/the UK?” | It's quite stressful as everyone has different ideas and there's limited time, so it's hard to know which ones t go with. Overall it's fun though - and we are enjoying getting involved in and learning new things... Except for JavaScript! |
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