Write a commentSouthern Regional College were among a number of high-profile organisations which scooped gongs at the Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards in Belfast.
A capacity crowd packed into the Ramada Hotel for the gala black-tie dinner, at which the Minister for Employment & Learning Sir Reg Empey congratulated all the winners for their success in placing a firm emphasis on individuals and their positive contribution to the Northern Ireland workplace.
The prestigious event, hosted by award-winning BBC journalist Karen Patterson and guest speaker on the night Sarah Newman - RTE’s Dragon’s Den, saw 17 main awards being presented alongside 14 commendations.
Southern Regional College were delighted to pick up the prestigious award for Workplace Excellence in the Education Sector. The judging panel described the College as “the winning organisation in this category has garnered a glowing reputation for outstanding quality in teaching, learning and business support not just in Northern Ireland, but nationally and internationally. Embracing a number of campuses spread over a wide geographical area, it has transformed lives through meaningful and enjoyable learning experiences.”
Chief Executive Brian Doran commented, “With the merger of six large campuses in 2007, it is due to the hard work and dedication of the staff and students over the last three years that SRC has gone from strength to strength. I am very pleased to say the College has made significant business improvements and will continue to achieve excellence and empower people through learning.
Speaking at the awards, the Minister welcomed the initiative, which aims to promote and reward our key resource people. He said: “These awards recognise excellence in the workplace and reinforce the message that our people are our most important asset. It’s great to see that more and more businesses and organisations are recognising this and the need to upskill their existing workforce so that they can make the most of new opportunities. Unfortunately we live in times of economic uncertainly but as research has shown, companies that invest in the skills of their staff are two and a half times more likely to survive. The aims of The Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards go hand in hand with much of skills work being taken forward through my department.”
