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Recruitment remains a major challenge within the networking and cybersecurity sector but for Ethan Jackson, the Lancashire and Cumbria Institute of Technology (IoT) provides a powerful solution.
Ethan, now a pre-sales systems engineer at Juniper Networks (recently acquired by Hewlett Packard Enterprise), designs and builds advanced networking solutions and works on contracts worth tens of thousands of dollars.
He believes employers have a responsibility to help shape the skills pipeline – and that’s why he works closely with Burnley College, an academic partner of the IoT, as a voluntary industry representative to ensure the computing courses delivered under the IoT umbrella reflect the needs of real employers.
“I want learners to leave college confident and industry-ready. If I can help with that, why wouldn’t I?”
Ethan’s involvement is rooted in his own journey. He began as a Level 1 IT student at Burnley College in 2018, progressed to Level 2 Networking, and then secured a two-year apprenticeship with Azzurri Communications. His first full-time role was as a first-line support engineer, assisting business customers with ADSL broadband lines.
In his volunteering role, Ethan quickly spotted opportunities to improve the curriculum. When he studied there, course content focused almost exclusively on one vendor – Cisco. Through his own career progression, he gained experience across multiple technologies, so he worked with the college to broaden its provision.
“I’ve seen how important it is to understand different vendors and systems,” he said. “By expanding the equipment and the courses, students get a feel for real-world networking – and it opens the door to additional areas like cybersecurity.”
He advised on new equipment, including routers, servers and switches, even helping the college identify options that worked within a set budget. Students now learn on a wider range of technologies and Ethan says that seeing that equipment in use during his visits is hugely rewarding.
As well as curriculum advice, Ethan regularly delivers guest talks for aspiring network and security engineers. He’s also spoken to learners at Todmorden High School and Manchester Metropolitan University, sharing his own route into industry and the value of gaining hands-on experience.
Working in partnership with the IoT, Ethan believes, is essential for employers wanting to secure the skilled workers they need – and to keep talent in Lancashire. Recruitment remains a challenge, with employers often overwhelmed by applications from candidates lacking the right technical grounding.
“Do it – 100%,” he says to any business considering working with colleges or universities. “You can teach them how your business works. Look at companies working with Burnley College, like Seriun – they took on apprentices and now they have transitioned to security engineers, 3rd line engineers and have a visible path to learn, grow and develop. It’s great to see.”
The changes at Burnley College are already having an impact. Under Ethan’s guidance, the college is no longer tied to a single vendor and is now a Juniper partner – a status held by fewer than 15 colleges and universities in the UK.
It has also developed partnerships with organisations including Microsoft, AWS and Oracle, meaning IoT can train learners in the networking, security and software that they will use in the workplace. And with more in the pipeline, learners will receive an even broader, more modern skills base.
Alongside his industry work and education support, Ethan is now preparing for one of the most demanding certifications in the networking world: becoming a Juniper Networking expert where fewer than 4,000 engineers globally hold the title. The six-hour exam involves implementing, troubleshooting and maintaining a Juniper Service Provider network in the ultimate test of skill.
Ethan says this diversity is essential for future employability. “As an employer today, I’d be looking for people with foundational networking knowledge and industry certifications. Those qualifications show dedication – and they set candidates apart, as these show the students have taken their own time to learn, grow and develop inside and outside of the course timeline. A course under the IoT can provide a great base for learning.”