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The 2023 Northern Ireland Civil Service Student Placement Scheme is now open for applications offering 140 placements across government departments.
Opportunities are available for students across a range of degree areas including accountancy, architecture, engineering, communications, ICT, law and policy. This year for the first time, placements are available for students studying psychology, electrical engineering and structural engineering. These are paid placements with an annual salary of £19,121 per annum.
The scheme is open to students currently studying towards an undergraduate degree, who will have successfully completed their second year examinations by the end of the 2022/23 academic year and who have the opportunity to undertake a placement for the 2023/24 academic year.
The scheme is open for applications from Monday 28th November to noon on Friday 9th December 2022 with placements expected to start late August/early September 2023. Further information on the range of placements and details on how to apply are available at www.nicsrecruitment.org.uk
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Southern Regional College has topped the leaderboard at the WorldSkills UK competition, with SRC students securing 3 gold medals, 4 silver medals, 6 bronze medals and 4 students being awarded highly commended.
The results were announced at a livestreamed WorldSkills UK Watch Party at the College’s Armagh campus on Friday, which saw competitors and their families join SRC staff to watch the winners announced live by Steph McGovern from the ‘Steph’s Packed Lunch’ .
WorldSkills UK, often dubbed the ‘Skills Olympics’, offers a chance for students from across the UK to compete in a bid to be crowned winner of their chosen subject area. Having made it through the NI competitions, SRC students put on a fantastic display of their abilities in a range of subject areas at the National Finals which took place at Edinburgh College between 15-17 November.
Southern Regional College have secured as high as third place in previous years competition’s and have consistently placed within the top 10 UK Colleges. Having secured the largest team of student’s competing at the UK competition this year, the College is understandably extremely proud of the students success.
Brian Doran, Principal and Chief Executive at Southern Regional College spoke of his delight at the results “I am filled with enormous pride that the SRC team have topped the leaderboard at WorldSkills UK. At Southern Regional College we place great emphasis on training, supporting and mentoring our students to compete at regional, national and international level in their chosen areas, using this as a vital tool in the delivery of quality training for our students”.
“Following our success last year when we placed 3rd in the UK table, we set ourselves the goal of topping the UK table within 5 years. To have achieved this goal within one year is a phenomenal success”.
“I congratulate all our students for a truly marvellous achievement; we are rightly extremely proud of their individual and collective achievements. SRC students are now the newest crop of top vocational and technical skills champions in the UK and will be fantastic ambassadors for the College!”
“I want to also pay tribute to our staff who have supported and mentored our competitors through local, regional and national competitions. This success would simply not have happened without the dedication and support of our lecturers and support team. This achievement is a resounding endorsement of the quality of training provided by lecturers across so many areas from beauty therapy and engineering to laboratory science”.
The Winners
Issac Bingham Furniture & Cabinet Making Gold
Victoria Sloan Health & Social Care Gold
Conor Nugent Wall & Floor Tiling Gold
Philip Shirley Automation Silver
James Smyth Automation Silver
Mykenzie Cartmill Beauty Therapy Silver
Keri Woodcraft Creative Media Makeup Silver
Jason McVerry Automation Bronze
John Doherty Automation Bronze
Patrick Sheerin Mechatronic Bronze
Riley Howlett Mechatronic Bronze
Jacqui Hawthorne Painting & Decorating Bronze
Anastasiya Kovtun Laboratory Technician Bronze
Jamie Gibson Automation Highly Commended
Jevgenij Kamnev Automation Highly Commended
Wiktoria Kurkowska Laboratory Technician Highly Commended
Abbi Magill Laboratory Technician Highly Commended
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Southern Regional College have successfully kicked off the new Data Analytics Assured Skills Academy in partnership with FD Technologies, a global leader in consulting, business services and technology.
Funded by the DfE Assured Skills programme, this 8-week academy will see delivery of superior training in a range of areas, including project management, Python, software fundamentals, software testing, introduction to cloud technologies, RDBMS/SQL and Excel.
Participants will develop enhanced employment-ready transferable skills. On completion of the Academy, participants will be guaranteed an interview for a role as a Data/Systems Analyst in First Derivatives business area within FD Technologies. Throughout the duration of the academy, each participant will receive £150 weekly training allowance, alongside travel expenses and assistance with childcare costs where appropriate.
Brian Doran, Principal and Chief Executive of Southern Regional College, said
“SRC is delighted to welcome participants onto its first Assured Skills Data Analytics Academy with FD Technologies. Supported by the Economy department this academy will see delivery of exceptional high-quality training, equipping individuals with invaluable skills and potential employment opportunities. We wish each participant the very best of luck and look forward to seeing them progress over the next 8 weeks.
For more information on the Assured Skills Academies, please visit http://www.nidirect.gov.uk
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Fainche Kelly, a current Southern Regional College student studying Healthcare Practice Higher National Certificate travelled to Jesolo in Italy in October to represent Ireland at the World Kick Boxing Championships 2022.
From an early age, Kickboxing has always been a massive part of Fainche's life, with both her father and uncle representing Ireland in a number of World Championships. Fainche has followed in their successful footsteps and has already won numerous medals winning bronze at the Bristol Open in 2019 and the Irish Open in 2020. She is also currently ranked second in Ireland for her weight category!
Unfortunately, Fainche was not ranked this year but she remarked on the overall experience and commented on how proud she was to represent Ireland and get the opportunity to meet similar people, who share the same level of passion for the sport.
Alexandra Cassidy, Lecturer, and Coordinator for Health and Social Care & Healthcare Practice course at Southern Regional College said “Fainche is an excellent student, who is always keen to learn and shows great dedication towards her studies and to kickboxing. She is an excellent role model for other students, demonstrating that hard work and motivation is the key to achieving success. I wish her all the success in both her academic studies and sporting journey!
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Last month Southern Regional College’s Higher Education graduates celebrated their academic achievement across a range of subjects with family, friends, and College staff in a major ceremony at the Armagh City Hotel. This was the first in-person Graduation Ceremony in three years.
This special event recognised individual and collective success as 189 graduates were conferred with Foundation Degrees, Higher Level Apprenticeships, and Professional Qualifications spanning a wide variety of courses delivered at the College’s Armagh, Banbridge, Newry, Lurgan, and Portadown Campuses. Many more SRC graduates attended ceremonies held at Ulster University and Queens University Belfast among others.
Honours Degrees were delivered in conjunction with Ulster University, Liverpool John Moores, and Stranmillis University in subjects such as Creative Imaging, Early Childhood Studies, English & History, and Business Studies. The event saw students of all ages achieving success in these areas.
Southern Regional College is deeply invested in the Higher Level Apprenticeship Programme (HLA) offering ten Higher Level Apprenticeship courses that create opportunities to gain quality training and a recognised qualification all helping to aid the skills gap within many industry sectors across Northern Ireland. During this special event, many of our HLA graduates were recognised for their achievements. The College has strong working relationships with many of the employers being in attendance.
SRC welcomed Mrs. Caroline O’Neill, Director of Digg for Success, Co-Founder of the NI Social Media Awards, and Founder of the Digg Podcast and Digg Mama. Caroline spoke about her own personal career path and provided a great deal of insight into how to make yourself and success, advising students to “Work hard, enjoy the good times, learn from your mistakes and never be afraid to say, I don’t know.”
Caroline awarded individual students special prizes for their outstanding academic achievement across all four facilities both full time and part time.
Mr. Brian Doran, Chief Executive of Southern Regional College, welcomed the graduates, their families, and friends and paid tribute to the work of the College staff in providing an excellent learning experience for graduates.
“We are delighted to officially mark and celebrate the achievements of our students who have worked extremely hard for their qualifications. Their hard work and dedication to learning is to be highly commended and we’re exceptionally proud of this year’s ‘class of 2022”.
“It certainly hasn’t been the most ‘normal’ or easiest of educational journeys for our students. To get to this stage they had to adapt to online learning and reduced interaction with staff caused by the pandemic; so congratulations on your exceptional achievements”.
“The number of graduates and range of courses this year clearly demonstrates the pivotal role which Southern Regional College plays in diversifying the higher education system”.
“I would also personally like to pay particular tribute to the work of our staff for providing an exemplary learning experience, guidance, and support during uncertain times which have contributed to this year’s graduate success”.
“May this journey lead to even greater achievements in life. Many congratulations on becoming a graduate of Southern Regional College”.
Case Study - Aisling O’Hara, SRC Human Resources Business Partner graduated in CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management
Aisling O’Hara, a Human Resources Business Partner at SRC graduated in the CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Strategic People Management course. Aisling studied this course to help aid her career progression. She previously completed Levels 3 and 5 with the College and felt it was a natural progression to complete Level 7.
Aisling remarked on how the small class sizes size ensured everyone was engaged and lead to a very personalised learning approach. Aisling commented on how the course was challenging but ultimately very rewarding and a great way to develop the skills needed for her current role.
For more information on the range of courses available, contact Southern Regional College on 0300 123 1223 or visit www.src.ac.uk.
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Bolster Community recently brought together local youth organisations to St Joseph’s High School Newry for 'Your Youth, Your Wellbeing'- a full school day filled with motivational speeches, wellness workshops & resilience challenges.
The day was aimed at Year 8, 9 & 10 and aimed to engage boys in Northern Ireland aged 11-13 on wellness, positive mental health and motivation.
Representatives from P.I.Ps Newry & Mourne explained self-care and what this can look like, giving practical and relatable examples as well as coping mechanisms.
Motivational speaker Billy Dixon, CEO of ‘Challenge, Change & Be Different’ gave a passionate speech on resilience, reflecting on his own life story. Dixon is one of Europe's leading authorities and commentators on personal projection, communication and team dynamics, so had a lot of information to help the boys on their journeys.
Bolster Community also brought in Pathways who set up an obstacle course and other fun, practical, immersive outdoor activities reflecting life’s various challenges.
Another workshop was First Aid hosted by a representative from Newry, Mourne & Down District Council.
Bolster Community wishes to recognise The Magnet Centre, Newry who kindly donated 250 hygiene packs for each student to take away. Each included shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, toothpaste and a toothbrush, equipping the boys with practical ways to practice cleanliness & self-care in order to be the best versions of themselves.
Closing up the day, Funk Soul Media brought a creative rap workshop. Some enthusiastic students were invited on stage to have a go at shooting their own rap video with equipment such as Sony cameras, drones as well as microphones. This was a chance to show alternative employment paths for young people in NI. Also featured was a live performance (taken from FunkSoul Media’s Youtube page) Newry/South Armagh born and raised hip hop artist Cú Chulainn of his tribute song “Wee Conor”- dedicated to the life of his childhood friend Conor Kearns, a young South Armagh man who tragically died of a drugs overdose aged only 23 years old in March 2019.
Tracy, Training & Development Officer at Bolster Community commented, “With the increasing rise of mental health issues in young men we were delighted to host a full wellbeing day for the year 8, 9, & 10 students of St, Joseph's High school. (Your Youth, Your Wellbeing). Using this type of platform, we are encouraging young men to build resilience and educate them on the importance of looking after their mental health and making healthy informed choices.
There were lots of smiling faces while the young men engaged in a full line up of interactive activities for the day. The young men soaked up the words of inspiration from our guest speakers. They learnt about body language and the importance of standing tall and how to present themselves to the world, the value of staying connected to family and friends and promoting self-confidence. “An all-round brilliant day!” said one of the students.
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Newry BID employee Aaron Bradley, a Higher Level Apprentice student at Southern Regional College has been awarded the Best Higher-Level Apprentice Award at the Newry Chamber Employee and Team Awards 2022 which was held earlier this month at the Canal Court Hotel, Newry.
Aaron is a current student on the Digital Marketing, Advertising, and Communication Higher Level Apprenticeship Programme. He attends SRC one day a week and works the remaining four days at Newry BID, where he successfully manages the company's social media platforms, creates campaigns, and improves processes and reporting. The judges praised Aaron for how quickly he has adapted to his job role and for how much he has learnt!
This award was sponsored by the College and presented on the night by Lee Campbell, Director of Finance & Planning at Southern Regional College. Lee said “I am absolutely delighted that Aaron has received the Best Higher-Level Apprentice Award. It’s great to see Aaron’s dedication and hard work being recognised. He is a role model to all students, and I wish him every success in the future. Well done!”.
Southern Regional College currently offers ten different Higher-Level Apprenticeships which aim to equip individuals with both theoretical knowledge through the qualification and relevant technical and employability skills. They are an attractive alternative route as opposed to University.
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BM Quizzing is excited to announce the arrival of the BM Quizzing Championships (BMQC), Northern Ireland’s largest quizzing competition, available to all secondary schools across Northern Ireland. This unforgettable experience will be held live in-person between 6-27th of October 2022 in the Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School, Newry, showcasing students spectacular general knowledge as they face tough questions from a challenging matrix of topics, while enjoying the thrill of team spirt, while boosting thier confidence and immersing themselves in the intense, competitive atmosphere of the BMQC.
The event is organised by BM Quizzing, a non-profit organisation, set up to advance education in a way that is directed to the “development of a child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential”. The BMQC provides the opportunity for talented young minds to be brought together in an intense, exciting, rewarding event. BM Quizzing hopes to ignited passion within young minds, transforming them into what every teacher hopes their student will become- a lifelong learner. That’s the central mission of Brain Master Quizzing; ‘to capture students curiosity and expand their knowledge to new horizons’. The BMQC is an invitation to schools, all across NI, to harvest the full potential of all their students and motivate them to learn more by allowing and encouraging them to team up with friends and get involved in an unforgettable quizzing tournament.
Schools who wish to enter must finalise a team and submit all registration details using the online registration form available at www.bmquizzing.com before the 30th September 2022. It only takes a few minutes. One team maximum may be submitted per school. After registration closes all team’s applications will be considered before eight teams are chosen to qualify for competing in the competition.
Students
The winning team will be bestowed with the honour of holding the prestigious title as "BM Quizzing Champions of the Year". Their achievement shall be marked with the receipt of the BM Quizzing Championships perpetual Trophy and a signed certificate awarded to each member.
Teachers
Teachers will see real, long-term benefits by getting involved. It’s a great way to get pupils inspired to learn new things. Also, one lucky teacher will be selected to win a special award showcasing excellent organisational skills, work ethic and support from students.
Schools
Participating in the BMQC is a brilliant way to showcase your school’s academic pedigree and an ideal opportunity to build relationships with other NI schools. The winning school will also be awarded the Brain Master Quizzing Championships Perpetual Trophy, commemorating their success.
The runners up receive the Brain Master Quizzing Championships Runners Up Perpetual Plate along with a signed certificate awarded to each member.
Students can also receive special awards for top answers and strong leadership.
For more information contact the organisers at info@bmquizzing.com
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The Newry Campus of Southern Regional College are offering a two year part time Diploma in Irish Language.
Overview
The Diploma is being offered in partnership with the Ulster University. The provision serves a diverse constituency of students and reflects the College’s strong commitment to cultural and linguistic diversity within Northern Ireland. It plays a vital role in preserving, sustaining and celebrating Ireland’s Gaelic linguistic heritage as well as serving the demands of the Irish language sector within the local and international job market. Our programme fulfils the needs of individuals who wish to acquire the necessary competence to fully participate in the Irish language community as confident and independent users of the language and advance their qualifications in order to progress their careers.
Entry Requirements
Applicants must:
a) have attained grades A, B or C at GCSE level in five subjects or an equivalent standard in an approved alternative qualification; and
b) provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent – this requirement may be met within (a)); or, as an alternative to (a) and/or (b):
c) provide evidence of their ability to undertake the programme through the accreditation of prior experiential learning.
Modules
Year 1
Introduction to Irish 1
Buntús Gaeilge 2
Year 2
Gaeilge Mheánleibhéil 1
Gaeilge Mheánleibhéil 2
Duration
2 years part-time (evening provision only)
Assessment
Years 1 and 2
January: Class test for Years 1 and 2
February – April: Coursework: Three short essays (Year 1); two essays + one letter (Year 2)
May: Two class tests and an oral exam (Year 1); two written exams and an oral exam (Year 2)
Awarded by
Ulster University
Fees
Tuition - £422
Exam - £330
Progression
On successful completion of this course students may be permitted (subject to interview and the APL process) to transfer into Year 1 of Ulster University’s part-time BA Irish Language and Literature course or Year 1 of Ulster University’s full-time BA course.
Contact
John Mc Caul M.A, B.Ed (Hons), B.A (Hons)
Telephone: 0300 123 1223
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