Michael joined NESCol to pursue a new interest in computing and has already achieved success with a silver medal at WorldSkills UK.

22-year-old Michael Till from Montrose has a background in engineering. After leaving school, he studied engineering for three years in Arbroath and Dundee before taking on an apprenticeship.

Michael said, “I always wanted to be an engineer and went on to work as a mechanical maintenance engineer, specialising in welding and fabrication.”

Michael enjoyed the practical skills and expertise he gained from engineering, but felt like something was missing. However, it wasn’t until he tried coding that he realised computing could be the right fit.

He said, “I coded my own cryptocurrency with my friend, and it worked! We were just experimenting, sending it back and forth, and although we never got around to liquidating it, I started to think that maybe computing was an option for me.”

WorldSkills UK competition

In 2023, Michael made the jump to computing with the NC Computer Science course at NESCol. He moved on to HNC Computing (NextGen) last year and is now thriving on the HND Networking and Cloud Infrastructure (NextGen) course.

He said, “NESCol has given me a really good grounding – I’ve even managed to go on to win a national competition!”

Encouraged by his lecturers and enticed by the prospect of a field trip, Michael entered WorldSkills UK, a national skills competition for young people. He competed in the Network Infrastructure Technician category, where he made it through two intense stages to the national finals.

The final was held in Wales at the end of November 2025, and after completing a series of challenging tasks, Michael was delighted to be awarded the silver medal.

He said, “When I entered WorldSkills, I had no intention of going to the finals, but it was a great experience. I’ve met a lot of good people, and I learned so much from preparing for the competition.”

Studying at NESCol

Michael has thrown himself into College life, including volunteering as Class Rep for three years.

He said, “It’s been a blast – and it’s a good addition to my CV. I attend meetings, speak on any issues, and ensure they’re raised with the faculty.”

This year, Michael also competed in the RGU Hackathon with team ‘Circuit Breakers’ and won the School of Engineering challenge with a portable detection sensor project built on Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

However, the best part of College for Michael has been the opportunity to discover and explore his passion for computing.

He said, “What I’ve enjoyed the most is how much I’ve been able to learn and the passion I’ve gained for networking and cyber security.

“My highlights so far have definitely been the WorldSkills competition, as well as winning the RGU Hackathon, which gave me the chance to meet staff at the university.

“The people I’ve met through my courses have also been a highlight, especially with the support from lecturers like Paul Butters and Ian Simpson – I couldn’t ask for better lecturers.”

Future plans

Michael is set to complete his HND next summer, after which he will continue his studies through RGU Degree Link.

He said, “I plan to enter the third year of the BSc (Hons) Cyber Security degree once I finish College.

“I met my current boss through LinkedIn when I posted about the RGU Hackathon, and that connection helped me secure a job in cyber security, which I will continue alongside my studies.”

In the future, Michael plans to continue working in networking and cyber security, with ambitions to start his own business in the field.

He is also in the process of starting up an e-waste charity. Together with former HND student Oliver Rennie, also from Montrose, the duo hopes to use their computing skills to benefit others.

Michael said, “We hope to be able to extend the lifecycle of devices that companies would normally send away to be scrapped, even though many are still in perfectly working condition. We will refurbish them and give them to people in need of laptops, like students.

“We’re still getting the charity off the ground, but we already have charitable status and are looking into getting certified.”

Advice for students

Michael’s advice to students, particularly those reconsidering their career paths, is to “try your best and just commit yourself.”

He explained, “I never imagined I’d do anything like this. I didn’t have a technical background, but I’ve learned everything myself, with the support of my lecturers guiding me in the right direction.”

He added, “I would recommend NESCol. College has set me up well for my future, even indirectly leading to my current job, and it has given me a strong foundation in the topics I’m passionate about.”

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