PACE helped me hone my knowledge

Meet Christopher Hughes. Chris landed a job at Bit Space Development right after completing the Network Security Diploma program in late 2021.

“UW PACE helped me hone my knowledge and push me in the right direction. Though I knew I a lot coming in, I also learned a lot,” says Chris.

Chris earned his CompTIA A+ certification in 2015 on his own and spent the last 15 years working in the customer service industry. Chris decided to enrol in the Network Security program offered jointly with Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology and started his program in September 2020, 7 months into the pandemic.

In his first few months at Bit Space Development, Chris had already put his skills into practice.

“I have created and maintain multiple types of servers. I helped build and maintain two server racks. I created and maintain Active Directory and LDAP on Windows Server 2022. I also do general IT support, cabling, wiring, and management. I oversee the network infrastructure and security,” says Chris. “There’s more to come!!! I’m just getting started.”

“I chose the PACE program because it offered an exciting partnership with Manitoba Institute of Trade and Technology,” says Chris.

Over the course of 16 months, Chris and his entire cohort, completed their program entirely online during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The ethical hacking course was my favourite, along with PowerShell,” says Chris.

“Doing online classes, we never actually had any hands-on training, doing the internship gave me the hands-on experience I needed. My time at Bit Space Development was excellent. They helped me learn and achieve the goals I set.”

“During the internship Chris excellent specifically in problem solving," says Daniel Blair, Founder and CEO of Bit Space Development. "When presented with a challenge he was not deterred by running into problems while overcoming it. He excelled at working with servers, Linux, and networking hardware.”

When asked about the most memorable part of his PACE experience was, Chris says “My classmates!!! They rock!”

Christopher’s advice to others taking a program at pace is this: “It may seem difficult in the beginning. Stick it through and manage your time wisely!”

“[The program at] PACE is a very fast program; you need to manage time wisely otherwise you’ll fall behind.”

Bit Space Development is an interactive digital media company in Winnipeg, Canada that specializes in creating augmented reality and virtual reality training.