Student initiative assists with dozens of tech issues
Most recent GOHelp session well-attended by all.
GOTAFE’s student-run IT support desk – GOHelp – celebrated a major milestone in hands-on learning and community support last month, assisting nearly 50 clients in just one day.
GOHelp is part of the Certificate III in Information Technology (ICT30120) program, designed to give students a real-world platform to apply their technical skills.
Clients came in on 1 July with a variety of everyday IT problems, and students provided support with device maintenance, software updates, virus scans, Wi-Fi logins, password resets and much more.
A key part of the day’s success was the students’ use of an IT help desk ticketing system to record each job and its outcome. This gave students valuable experience in tracking client issues, documenting their troubleshooting steps, and ensuring tasks were completed efficiently and professionally – just like in a real IT workplace.
Students described the day as a highlight of their learning journey, saying it helped consolidate everything they’d studied during Semester 1. Not only did they gain technical confidence, but they also developed vital communication and customer service skills by working one-on-one with real clients.
“This was such a valuable experience,” one student said.
“Helping real people with real issues made all we’ve learned feel relevant and important.”
With GOHelp proving to be a powerful tool for skill-building and community engagement, there are already plans in place for the next student-led support day.
The encouragement, participation, and willingness to engage with the class of all staff and students who supported the day made a real difference and helped create an incredibly positive and authentic learning experience.
