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Southern Regional College’s Big Apprenticeship Event returns this February at the College’s Newry West Campus.
Taking place on Tuesday 4 February from 5pm to 7:30pm the Big Apprenticeship Event is a one stop shop for those seeking to start a new apprenticeship course from level 2 to level 5 from September 2025.
The event seeks to match potential apprentices with employers with over 40 employers and support organisations expected to attend the Newry event. College staff will also be present discussing course modules, entry requirements and assessments.
Student ambassadors from various programmes of study will be available to give a first-hand account of what it is like being an apprentice as well as sharing their incredible journeys and giving the low down on the reality of studying whilst being an apprentice. Employers, support organisations, lecturing staff and student ambassadors alike will be answering questions from attendees.
Lee Campbell, Principal & CEO of Southern Regional College commented: “We are delighted to once again host The Big Apprenticeship Event in our local community. The event provides attendees the unique opportunity to start conversations and directly engage with a wide and varied range of employers.”
“Attendees will have the opportunity to gather information on the various programmes of study and gain an understanding of the benefits of studying an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships offer value by combining hands on vocational training, equipping individuals with the skills and experience currently in demand by employers.”
“Whether you are a school leaver, a career changer, or someone seeking professional development, this event promises to deliver a wealth of knowledge and inspiration to help you shape your future.”
Now in its 7th year the Big Apprenticeship Event, run in partnership with Newry Mourne and Down District Council has consistently provided opportunities to young people and adult returners alike to develop skills and gain relevant experience with recruiting employers.
Apprenticeships and higher level apprenticeships are flexible career pathways providing the chance to earn a salary while pursuing qualifications. With course fees funded by the Department for the Economy, now has never been a better time to start an apprenticeship or higher level apprenticeship at Southern Regional College.
Apprenticeships are offered at level 2 and 3 at Southern Regional College in over 30 areas ranging from business, children’s care, construction, engineering, hairdressing & barbering, hospitality & food manufacturing to motor vehicles.
Higher Level Apprenticeships provide participants with recognised foundation and honour degrees, referred to as level 5 and 6 qualifications in 20 subject areas. This ranges from accounting, business, finance and marketing, computing, construction, engineering, science, sports & exercise and tourism, hospitality & events management.
The College has successfully run Higher Level Apprenticeship programmes of study for 10 years, providing over 1,200 people with jobs since the inception of the programme. This year could be attendees’ opportunity to add a degree and a new source of employment to their accomplishments.
Councillor Pete Byrne, Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council said “For individuals looking to start or enhance their careers through an Apprenticeship route, attendance at SRC’s Big Apprenticeship Event is a must. Supported through Newry Mourne and Down Labour Market Partnership, the event will be an excellent opportunity to engage directly with local cross-sector employers, ask questions, and learn about the skills and qualifications needed in today’s job market.”
“Discover how apprenticeships can pave the way for a successful career, create pathways to growth, and contribute to the development of a skilled workforce across the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council community. Don’t miss out on this chance to connect with employers and take proactive steps towards your career goals!”
With many career opportunities available, attendees are encouraged to make their way to their closest Big Apprenticeship Event. Free tickets are now available to book using the registration link: src-big-apprenticeship-event
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St. Malachy’s Nursery School at Carnagat is inviting prospective parents to apply for a preschool place for their child in the 2025/2026 year.
St. Malachy’s is a standalone nursery school, providing 52 funded full time places. The school boasts a newly refurbished outdoor play area that provides preschool children the opportunities to engage in well-planned, energetic outdoor activities, enabling each child in the nursery school to become active and explorative learners.
As part of the Education Training Inspectorate new School Inspection Process an ETI Inspector noted: 'The school’s motto, "Nurture the seed and it will grow”, permeates every aspect of the life and work of the nursery.’
‘There is a happy and inclusive ethos in the nursery. The nurturing and highly skilled staff respond sensitively and insightfully to the needs of individual children’
‘The staff and governors of St Malachy’s Nursery School are committed to creating a caring, warm and stimulating environment where every child feels safe, valued, supported and inspired to learn and grow’.
‘The breadth and quality of the children’s learning experiences have been enriched greatly as a result of the significant transformation of both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and provides a range of high quality learning opportunities for the children across all areas of the pre-school curriculum’
Check out their Facebook page to get an insight into all the exciting things that are happening at St Malachy’s Nursery School at www.facebook.com
To apply to St Malachy's click www.eani.org.uk
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St Colman's College pupils Ronan Scullion and Laochra Hill will be in Dublin this weekend showcasing their project at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. The boys are finalists in the annual competition with their project which comes up with a novel way to tackle the blue-green algae issue in Lough Neagh.
'An 'egg'citing way to treat phosphate run off in Lough Neagh' will be on show at the exhibition and who knows where it will take their future careers, with past winners of the competition including Patrick Collison the founder of Stripe.
Fourteen projects from eight northern schools are finalists and this year BT celebrates 25 years as custodian and organiser of the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (YTSE), and under the organisation’s stewardship, the organisation has launched several initiatives that have evolved the exhibition even further in Northern Ireland
A total of 550 projects from 225 schools will be on display, spanning the five exhibition categories of Technology, Biological, and Ecological Sciences, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences and Health and Wellbeing. A judging panel of 85 experts from the world of STEM and business will have the challenging task of choosing over 200 prize winners, including the overall BT Young Scientist & Technologist (s) of the Year, awarded £6,200.
The BTYSTE, which is one of the leading school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) exhibitions in the world, annually showcases incredible STEM focused ideas in project entries from secondary school students aged 12-19 years.
The 61st exhibition is a particularly significant milestone for BT, as the organisation celebrates 25 years as custodian and organiser of the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (YSTE). Since Dr. Tony Scott and the late Fr. Tom Burke created the YSTE in the 1960s, the exhibition has inspired many generations to look to STEM to improve the world around them, and in the past 25 years, BT Ireland has introduced several initiatives that have evolved the exhibition even further.
Initiatives include:
Education Minister Paul Givan said: “The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is an educational initiative, that provides a key opportunity for young people in Northern Ireland to increase their engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
“With an ever-growing demand globally for people who are well-qualified in STEM subjects, it is vital that these subjects are offered and delivered in our schools. Success in STEM not only enables young people to pursue an exciting and creative career pathway, it is also essential to boosting economic growth in Northern Ireland.”
Paul Murnaghan, Regional Director of BT Business Northern Ireland said: said: ‘’We are delighted to welcome the students from the eight Northern Ireland schools and their teachers participating in the 61st exhibition. This year’s exhibition is particularly momentous for all the BT team across the island of Ireland as it marks 25 years since we became custodian of this remarkable event."
The BTYSTE opens to the public from Thursday, January 09 to Saturday January 11, with a full programme of fantastic events and something for everyone to enjoy, as well as all the student projects on display throughout. Additionally, 50 brilliant stands from the exhibition’s partners, including the Department of Education, Analog Devices, Amgen, Permanent TSB, Stripe, Re-turn, and RTÉ will be on display throughout the RDS.
For more information on the exhibition, please visit the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition website or follow @BTYSTE on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube or Snapchat.
A limited number of tickets are still available at ticketing.btyoungscientist.com
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Pupils from the Sacred Heart Grammar School in Newry celebrated their achievements at the schools annual A Level prize night just before Christmas.
The Year 14 students and their families gathered together with school staff and guest speaker, Elena McIlroy De La Rosa, to acknowledge their success. The school celebrated another year of outstanding results, with 84% of pupils achieving 3 A – C grades, thirty-five pupils achieving three A*/A grades, and one pupil achieving four A*/A grades, Principal Shane Comer advised the gathered audience to never fail to be proud of their achievements.
The guest speaker Elena McIlroy De La Rosa was a past pupil of the Sacred Heart and both her parents were members of staff – Mrs Margarita McIlroy and the late Sean McIlroy. After receiving a first-class honours degree in Actuarial and Financial Studies from UCD, a fluent Spanish speaker, Elena has gone on to thrive in the financial sector and is currently deputy CEO and Chief Transformational Officer at Santander Insurance, Ireland. Speaking of her time in Sacred Heart, Ms McIlroy De La Rosa spoke of the legacy of the values that were laid here. On women’s position in business and the world stage, she advised the students to advocate for each other as women.
Also on the night Julie Conlon awarded the Brian Conlon Medal to former Year 14 Pupil, Lauren Coghlan. The annual award is presented to the pupil who reflects Brian’s spirit, as nominated by the school. The Gilmore Trophy, the school’s most prestigious award for representing outstanding school spirit, was awarded to former Head Girl, Nicole McKay.
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For the fourth year in succession, a call has gone out to local schools from one of Ireland’s best-known Olympians, sprinter David Gillick who has joined forces with Fyffes once again in a quest to find ‘Ireland’s Fittest School 2025’.
Aimed at promoting the importance of exercise, fitness and healthy eating amongst young people, a central feature of the programme will be a series of exercise routines – recorded by Gillick, alongside Irish fitness trainer, Sharon Flanagan – which competing schools can adopt as part of their PE curriculum and against which performance will be measured and tracked online.
Running for 10 weeks from January 20th, the upcoming competition will see a new element introduced in which the top four schools from each province will compete head-to-head across four live regional qualifier events in April. The top school from Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster will then progress to May’s grand final at which the prize package will include €8,000 worth of sports equipment.
Previous ‘Ireland’s Fittest School’ winners were Donegal’s Scoil Na Croise Naofa, Dunfanaghy (2022); Meath’s Gilson National School, Oldcastle (2023) and Waterford’s Touraneena National School (2024).
School registrations open January 6th and further details can be found online at www.fyffesfittestschool.ie
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Southern Regional College have been awarded the Team/College Fundraiser of the Year at the Good for Me, Good for FE awards ceremony held at the House of Lords in early December 2024. The award was presented to the College’s Student Engagement and Organisational Development Teams for raising a staggering £13,500 for NI Children’s Hospice, surpassing the initial target of £10,000.
NI Children's Hospice was selected as SRC’s charity partner for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years. During this period, students and staff at the College undertook 37 charity fundraising events which included a fashion show, movie marathon, Christmas hamper raffles/ Easter egg raffles and coffee and bake sales. Other fundraising and charity events included a toy appeal delivering 126 toys to students in need, 500 donations to local foodbanks, and an additional 495 winter wellness packs distributed to students to alleviate student poverty.
The 2024 Good for Me, Good for FE Awards is the second year of the Awards. These awards recognise the incredible volunteering and fundraising contributions made by staff and students from Further Education (FE) colleges across the UK. Judging the Team/College Fundraiser of the Year award was Dame Sally Dicketts, a tireless campaigner and advocate for learning and skills.
Good for Me Good for FE has become a powerful force for generating millions of pounds of social value in communities across the country. Staff and students from over 150 colleges nationwide have united through fundraising and volunteering efforts -transforming and improving the lives of others.
The Good for Me, Good for FE campaign was launched in June 2021 with the initial aim of generating £1 million in social value, which has since been surpassed. Over the past two years volunteering and fundraising activities have generated over £4 million in social value. SRC is committed to encouraging a community of volunteers through employee and student volunteering and fundraising activities. The College has appointed Alzheimer’s Society NI as its charity partner for the next two academic years.
Lee Campbell, Principal & CEO of Southern Regional College commented: “We are absolutely delighted and honoured to receive the 'Team/College Fundraiser of the Year Award’ at the 2024 Good for ME, Good for FE Awards. This recognition is a testament to the incredible dedication, hard work, and passion of our staff and students. Fundraising plays a crucial role in enhancing the opportunities and experiences we offer our learners, and this award reflects the collective effort to make a real difference. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been involved in these initiatives – together, we are helping to shape a brighter future for all.”
The awards ceremony was hosted in the Cholmondeley Room at the House of Lords by The Baroness Barran MBE, who praised the FE sector's contributions, saying:
“Each finalist is incredibly inspiring and extremely deserving of this national recognition. Huge congratulations and thank you to you all.”
Speaking at the event, Dr Sam Parrett CBE, co-founder of Good for Me Good for FE and Group CEO of London South East Colleges, said: "These awards showcase the incredible impact of the FE sector in supporting its communities and generating social value. The contributions of our students and staff are a powerful reminder of the difference we can make together."
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Pantomime season was in full flow last week at Southern Regional College’s Armagh campus. The colleges first year level 3 Performing and Production Arts Extended Diploma students took centre stage with their production of Cinderella. Daytime performances were dedicated to primary school pupils, while evening shows were open for the public to enjoy.
Students fully embraced their roles and brought the house down with their tremendous performances. The classic Disney tale showcased Cinderella capturing the heart of Prince Charming but must face the wrath of her stepmother and in this case, three ugly stepsisters who are determined to vie for the attention of Prince Charming. Aided by her fairy godmother, Cinderella wins the heart and hand of Prince Charming in the festive performance which featured slap stick comedy and the search for the owner of a missing glass slipper before being reunited with its rightful owner
The production featured several crowd-pleasing moments, particularly the hilarious antics of the ugly stepsisters, who delighted in their over-the-top performances, and the interactive audience participation, with the crowd enthusiastically booing the villainous stepmother and stepsisters. The energy and enthusiasm from both the cast and audience helped create an unforgettable festive experience for all involved.
This year’s pantomime once again highlighted the exceptional talent and creativity of SRC’s Performing Arts students, leaving everyone eagerly anticipating next year’s production.
Teresa McBride, Performing Arts Co-ordinator at Southern Regional College commented: “I am incredibly proud of our first year Performing Arts students for their outstanding performances in Cinderella this year. Over the last few weeks, they dedicated themselves to rehearsals in front of second-year Level 3 Performing Arts students and participated in dress rehearsals in front of College peers.”
“While those experiences were valuable, nothing truly prepares you for the thrill of performing in front of a live audience of excited, screaming primary school pupils. The energy from the children was infectious, and our students rose to the occasion, delivering performances that were full of enthusiasm and passion.”
“Through this production, students have mastered essential stage performance techniques and, most importantly, how to step onto the stage, fully embody their characters, and bring their lines to life. It's been an incredible journey for them, and I couldn't be more impressed with their growth and commitment.”
“Working in the pantomime provides students with a taste of what it’s like in professional productions. During this process, students work with musicians, song writers, hair & makeup artists, and a live band during performances. This experience is invaluable to our students and really gets them ready for work within the industry.”
Students began preparing for the annual pantomime in mid-September, with rehearsals intensifying after Halloween. The pantomime production is a collaborative effort, bringing together students from multiple disciplines, including music, art, and hair and beauty, who all work together to bring the pantomime to life on stage.
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Our Lady’s Grammar School recently celebrated the success of the GCSE Class of 2024 with 96% of students attaining 7 or more GCSEs at grades A*-C.
Pupils were delighted to welcome Ms. Lynn Carvill as the Guest Speaker for the Prizegiving afternoon, celebrating the many successes of Year 13 students. Ms. Carvill attended Our Lady’s from 1983-1990 and is now the Chief Executive of WOMENSTEC, a regional organisation specialising in the delivery of non-traditional skills training to women and girls. She is passionate about challenging gender stereotypes and encouraging women and girls to achieve their full potential, and one of her great pieces of advice was to remind each and every one of our students that they are enough, and to always believe that to be the case. Lynn spoke at length about her experiences in challenging traditional gender roles and reminded our students about the value in finding their own paths, even if they appear at first to be non-traditional routes or choices.
Lynn presented prizes to our top achieving students, achieving A*/A grades in each subject they studied, along with a selection of Sporting awards, and the Gabriel Award recognising a student who is a Mercy Ambassador, reflecting the pastoral traits we wish our students to embody in their daily life. Students achieving first in subject were also acknowledged, as was the relentless effort, resilience and passion shown by each student and the encouragement and support of their parents / carers.
SPORTS AWARDS
Nicola McKenna Cup Mychaela McEvoy
Patrick Manson Memorial Cup Mia McLaughlin
Central Florists Cup for Netball Niamh Farrell
Central Motors Cup for Dance Eimear Gallagher
Fiveways Cup for Gymnastics Eibhlin O’Neill
Heaney Cup for Gaelic Football Moya McGrane
Shoe Gallery Cup for Camogie Hannah Shields
STUDENTS OF THE YEAR
Kate Cunningham, Katie Fitzpatrick, Carragh McGaffin, Sinead McPolin, Lana Mathers, Nanditha Vadiyala
GABRIEL AWARD
Lola Donnelly
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Economy Minister Conor Murphy this week visited the Southern Regional College in Newry to announce the SME Productivity Booster, a new £350,000 initiative aimed at increasing productivity and skills in small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs).
The SME Productivity Booster aims to equip more than 70 businesses across the north with the skills and insights they need to boost their productivity and, in turn, their competitiveness and prospects for growth. Raising productivity is one of the Minister’s four strategic priorities for the economy.
Speaking after a visit to Newry the Minister said: “According to recent research, output per worker in the north of Ireland is 11% lower than in Britain and almost 40% lower than in the south of Ireland.
“The SME Productivity Booster, which represents an investment of £350,000 by my Department as part of the wider Skills Fund, seeks to address this gap by providing targeted upskilling to SMEs operating in key economic areas such as fintech, healthcare and advanced manufacturing.
“The Department has already delivered two successful pilots of this initiative and I would encourage SMEs to visit nibusinessinfo to find out how they can benefit from this funded support.”
Mel Higgins, Principal and CEO of Northern Regional College and chair of the Further Education Principals’ Group, said: “As Chair of the Further Education Principals’ Group, I am pleased to see the launch of this initiative which will further strengthen ties between the further education sector and local employers whilst increasing productivity levels across the region. Upskilling the workforce through our local college networks is key to unlocking the potential in businesses and paving the way for economic growth.”
James O’Neill, Head of Sales at Portadown company Rathbanna Ltd, which availed of support from SRC during the pilot phase, added: “The support we accessed from SRC through this programme was invaluable, enabling us to establish a business improvement team that identified inefficiencies and implemented new strategies to enhance productivity and reduce waste.”
The SME Productivity Booster programme is delivered in partnership with the six further education colleges across Northern Ireland. Companies begin with an initial productivity ‘health check’, which identifies key areas in which staff will be trained such as leadership, business improvement and lean processes. A productivity roadmap is then developed to help SMEs implement plans to increase productivity levels within their business.
To find out more about the SME Productivity Booster and how to access the support, visit: www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk
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