Viera & Radoslav Vidis
Computing
HND Web Development (including Digital Design & Development)
“It was great to be able to share knowledge and bounce ideas off each other. The course was really interesting, challenging at times, but the lecturers were fantastic and explained everything so well.”
From ESOL to HTML: the code to success for Viera and Radoslav at NESCol
Since moving to Scotland, Viera and Radoslav Vidis have marked some incredible milestones — from tying the knot to graduating together from NESCol. They both collected an HND in Web Development (including Digital Design & Development) at the Aberdeen Graduation Ceremony in October 2025.
A new life in Scotland
Originally from Slovakia, the couple relocated to Aberdeen in 2016 and quickly settled into their new life. They married in 2018 and embraced the opportunities the city had to offer. Viera started working in retail and in 2022 decided to enrol at NESCol to study English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) to improve her English. During this time, Radoslav pursued various self-employed roles across different industries.
A shared learning experience
With a long-standing interest in computing and web development, Viera was inspired by the diverse range of courses available at City Campus. She applied for the HND in Web Development, which includes Digital Design & Development. Radoslav, whose professional background in Slovakia was in health and safety, became intrigued by the course after hearing about it from Viera. He decided to join her when the course began in August 2023.
During this time, Radoslav also started working as a driver for First Bus—a role he continues to hold—successfully balancing full-time study with his job.
Studying together proved to be a rewarding experience. “We worked on lots of different projects,” explained Viera. “It was great to be able to share knowledge and bounce ideas off each other. The course was really interesting, challenging at times, but the lecturers were fantastic and explained everything so well.”
One standout moment for Radoslav was the graded unit project required to complete the HND. He had the opportunity to build a new website for Maryfield Farm – a local turkey farm in Banchory, Aberdeenshire. “The farm needed a site to promote their products and enable online sales,” he explained. “The owners were really pleased with the result, which gave me a great sense of pride.”
Progression to university
Having completed their HNDs, the couple were inspired to continue their academic journey. They’ve now progressed to Robert Gordon University, where they’re studying for a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science. Thanks to their new qualifications from NESCol, they were able to enter directly into the third year of the four-year degree, and are embracing the new challenge.
Looking ahead, Viera and Radoslav hope to build careers in the IT industry, with interests in both web and software development.