Swindon was one of the leaders in the technology that led the world 150 years ago. Steam engines built here travelled all around the country at speed.

Now, the site is being used to train the technological innovators of the future.

In a darkened laboratory of the site of the former GWR works around a dozen teenagers are each crowded around their own computer terminal.

At the front of the room, a lecturer takes the group through a presentation on the smartboard.

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We’re at UTC Swindon, what in the past might have been described as a technical college.

And the dozen or so young men in the room are studying cyber security. Graduate successfully from the course with a level three qualification – equivalent to an A-level – and they can expect a lucrative career in IT.

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Ronan, teacher David McCormick and Renato at UTC Swindon Picture: DAVE COX

Fraud has been contributing to human misery probably for as long as humans have had the capacity to make each other miserable.

But new technology means new ways to commit the crime. From hacking the networks of multi-million pound businesses to creating false social media profiles in a bid to entrap victims in romance fraud.

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Based at Wiltshire Police headquarters is the Digital Investigations and Intelligence Unit. The dozen-strong team, which was only established at the start of the year, has been tasked with tackling the cyber-fraudsters.

And helping the detectives is the group of cyber students from UTC Swindon.

The relationship with Wiltshire Police is now in its second year. It began informally, with a chat between a teacher and his officer friend.

Now, Wiltshire Police is involved in what UTC Swindon calls its Pipeline Programme.

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Inside the Fujitsu computer lab at UTC Swindon Picture: DAVE COX

Students on the cyber security course spend five days spread throughout the year observing different departments, learning about everything from how 999 and 101 calls are transferred to how digital forensic investigators painstakingly trawl a computer for indecent images or other evidence.

The idea is that the experience days better prepare students for a two-week work experience placement towards the end of the course.

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The course is now in its second year. David McCormick, a lecturer in computing, said: “About a year ago we were looking for a digital course which would be up to date for this day and age.

“Together, the students came up with the idea of doing the course on cyber security. It comprises a lot of what computing is about in today’s world in terms of the network side of things - the idea of being able to secure that in such a way that benefits both individuals and companies and at the same time understanding the theory behind security and how networks work.”

Asked how he would explain the course to his grandparents, student Ronan de Melo, 18, said: “I would tell them it’s like me gaining access to their phone without touching it or looking at it.”

The class uses a programme called Testout to build a virtual network and test its defences.

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Students take part in a lesson on cyber security Picture: DAVE COX

Lecturer David said: “There are two parts to cyber security. Not only have you got to understand the way people would go about hacking into a network but also the way they would go about picking their victim.

“You’d be surprised how quickly this generation adapts. They pick up the underpinning knowledge of networks quite quickly. They have a broader view of networks from social media, from the web and from tinkering around and playing with the technology themselves.

“You take all of those building blocks and I finish it with the theory.”

Renato Martins, 19, hopes to become a network administrator, responsible for overseeing an organisation’s IT network. Ronan plans to head to university to study video game design, but hopes to work with Japanese firm Fujitsu. The IT services company has sponsored the computer lab at UTC Swindon where the cyber security students’ lessons are held.

The rewards are lucrative. David said: “It’s a growing market.

“More people are learning the wrong skills. Criminality is changing with the technology. Artificial intelligence is going to play a big role.

“It’s a very exciting time. This generation of students are really going to enjoy their careers.

“It’s a very lucrative career that is going to be sustained over a lifetime. There are very few jobs like that today.”

UTC Swindon is holding an open day on Saturday, November 23, 10am to 1pm, for all those interested in finding out more about their courses. For more, visit: www.utcswindon.co.uk.