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Science students from Southern Regional College and North West Regional College, in association with Middlesex University, battled it out at the NI WorldSkills Regional Heat for Laboratory Technicians on the 4th June.
This was the first WorldSkills NI Regional Heat for Laboratory Technicians and was hosted at Southern Regional College, the Life Sciences Hub for Further Education in Northern Ireland.
The NI Regional Heat winner was Southern Regional College Newry student, Adam Purvis, who is currently completing the Higher Level Apprenticeship in Applied Industrial Sciences (Chemical Pathway) with Almac in Craigavon.
Second place went to Southern Regional College student, Sarah Casey from Dungannon, who is currently completing the Higher Level Apprenticeship in Applied Industrial Sciences (Life Sciences Pathway) with Randox in Crumlin and 3rd place went to North West Regional College student, Suzanne Ramage, who is completing the Foundation Degree in Applied and Medical Sciences.
The laboratory technician competition is based on real life scenarios in science that demonstrate technical competence in the use of complex instrumentation, laboratory equipment and skills. The competition is designed to reflect the work of a laboratory technician and tests their skills in techniques and procedures to solve practical problems through analysis, tests and measurements while ensuring safe and ethical working practices. Laboratory technicians work in diverse settings which include healthcare, industry, research and educational institutions.
“This regional heat was a fantastic opportunity for higher education students across the sector to showcase their technical and analytical abilities. The competitors have performed exceptionally well under such challenging conditions” said Dr. Asha Jamil, Life Sciences Hub Development Manager at Southern Regional College.
She continued; “Judges have come from a variety of specialist scientific backgrounds from both education and industry across the UK and I am delighted that competitors from NI had this opportunity to demonstrate their range of skills on such a prestigious platform. Judges also commented that they were highly impressed by all the competitors’ technical and analytical skills and their professional approach to this challenging competition.”
Judges were representatives from Middlesex University, Norbrook Laboratories, and also included the current Team UK Laboratory Technician winner, Tonicha Roberts, who is a Forensic Reporting Scientist with Eurofins Forensic Services, UK.
Competitors came from a range of higher education programmes from across the NI sector including Foundation Degrees and Higher Level Apprenticeship (HLA) programmes. The HLA students study their underpinning Ulster University Foundation Degrees at Southern Regional College (Newry and Portadown campuses) and are employed with Norbrook Laboratories, Randox and Almac.
The top performing competitors across the UK will now have a nail-biting wait to see if they have scored high enough to qualify for the WorldSkills UK Final at Birmingham’s NEC in November. We wish all our NI competitors the best of luck.
Check out the Middlesex University website for more information. WWW.MDX.AC.UK
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Local schools attended a reception in Warrenpoint Town Hall last week hosted by Newry, Mourne and Down Council Chairperson, Councillor Charlie Casey. The schools were awarded their first Green Flags as part of the Eco-Schools programme.
Ten schools in total received their flags this academic year, taking the number of schools throughout the district proudly flying the Green Flag to forty.
Cllr Casey said, “Every one of you should be very proud of this tremendous achievement. The Green Flag award is internationally recognised and only schools which have reached the highest of environmental standards are given this prestigious award.
“I have been really inspired to hear all about the work you have undertaken, and I hope this continues into the future. Our environment depends on young people like you and the decisions you make.”
Dorothy Corkin, Eco-Schools Assessor, who attended the reception on behalf of Eco-Schools NI said, “I am delighted to be a guest of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council at your Eco-Schools Green Flag celebration event. As an Eco-Schools assessor I know first-hand the hard work that goes into obtaining the Green Flag for the first time. Congratulations to both pupils and teachers on this tremendous achievement.”
Pete Graham, Education Officer with Habitat for Humanity NI attended the celebration where he gave a presentation on his organisation’s work and how their education programme links with the waste and global perspective topics of the Eco-Schools programme.
Attending the event were teachers and members of the Eco School committees from St Patrick’s Primary School, Mayobridge; Knockevin Special School, Downpatrick; Kilkeel Primary School; St Joseph’s Primary School, Killough; St Patrick’s Primary School, Newry and St Oliver Plunkett’s Primary School, Forkhill.
The event finished with Cllr Casey presenting each school’s eco committee with their Green Flag and a commemorative certificate.
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Carolyn Davison, Assistant Director for Higher Education & Quality Improvement at Southern Regional College, has been recognised as a leading female figure for her service to education at the inaugural Northern Ireland Women’s Awards.
The NI Women’s Awards, which was held in the Wellington Park Hotel in Belfast, honours the breadth of talent and hard work of female professionals and entrepreneurs across the country including female entrepreneurs, business women, professionals, civil servants, charity workers and many others.
Carolyn’s outstanding hard work and commitment over the last 30 years within the education sector was acknowledged in making a valuable contribution to the economic life of Northern Ireland.
Upon receiving the award, Carolyn acknowledged the dedicated and committed team that she works with at SRC and went on to say “As a working mum of two amazing young people who inspire me daily to influence every student to be a better form of themselves, I am a tireless ambassador for young people in my personal and professional life - all of which is founded on trust, respect and inclusivity. I am delighted and honoured to have won this award for ‘Services to Education’ on such a special night for empowering women in Northern Ireland.”
Brian Doran, Chief Executive at SRC, added “Carolyn lives and breathes our values of putting the learner first, striving for excellence and working together to achieve more. Throughout Carolyn’s career, she has always put the students’ needs first and has supported and encouraged many, especially those hard to reach students to give their best and to succeed. She has strived for excellence by taking the lead across the Further Education Sector in Northern Ireland on a number of projects and she works tirelessly to promote the College through her interactions with her colleagues at SRC and across the sector. She was also instrumental in developing the first higher level apprenticeship in applied industrial science, a programme that is now held up by the Department for the Economy as an exemplar of best practice. We are delighted that Carolyn has won this award and has been recognised for her outstanding service to education.”
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Two local students have successfully completed one of N Ireland’s leading IT infrastructure summer camps.
Newry students David McKenna and Thomas Brownlee who both study at Abbey CBS in Newry, participated in the 2019 Novosco Camp in partnership with Ulster University took place in early August at Ulster University’s Jordanstown campus.
The five-day initiative, which was free of charge to students aged 16-17 and enrolled at schools and colleges across Northern Ireland, provided first-hand, practical experience in the management and development of IT infrastructure and systems in a fun and engaging learning environment.
Professional IT engineers from Novosco, experts from the Connected Health Innovation Centre at Ulster University, and lecturers from the University’s School of Computing, facilitated the camp, which also included a tour of Novosco’s state-of-the-art Belfast headquarters at Catalyst Inc on the Friday of the week.
A mix of theory and hands-on experience, the camp covered networks, programming, building circuits, sensors, machine learning and more.
In a bid to nurture future IT talent during the camp and beyond, each student was provided with a Raspberry Pi, a small and affordable computer used to learn programming, which they could keep.
Novosco Managing Director Patrick McAliskey said: “Novosco Camp is one of my favourite weeks of the year as we get to engage with young people who are passionate about IT and eager to learn, as well as to work closely with the fantastic team at Ulster University. I am also delighted that we have been able to increase the intake for Novosco Camp this year to 50 pupils.”
“It’s an understatement to say that Northern Ireland’s IT sector is fast growing and provides a vast number of opportunities for talented people. Novosco Camp helps us communicate that to potential future talent as well as to help them develop their experience and skills so that they can potentially go on to have a fantastic career in IT,” he adds.
Dr Nicola Ayre, Associate Head of the School of Computing at Ulster University commented: “Ulster University nurtures world-class IT and computing talent every year, students we are proud to say are industry ready and sought-after by global companies, industry disruptors and local technology firms. Our partnership with the Novosco Camps explores the breadth of opportunity a degree in computing at Ulster University offers to potential students. It is an invaluable opportunity to develop skills, raise ambitions and prepare future IT leaders by presenting the opportunity for participants to engage with our state-of-the-art robot, experiment with some of the very latest technology in our research labs and fully immerse themselves in the world of IT beyond a classroom setting.”
Novosco is an IT infrastructure and managed services provider with clients in the public, private and voluntary sectors across the UK and Ireland.
For more information about the Novosco Camp, in partnership with Ulster University, visit novoscocamp.com
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Staff from Southern Regional College have worked together on a variety of fundraising initiatives over the past few years for their official nominated charities The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust and Cancer Focus NI.
In total, staff have raised an incredible £12,100 for these worthwhile charities. Fundraising activities throughout the year included a golf tournament, an 80km cycle from campus to campus, a walk in the Mourne Mountains, a BBQ, a pub quiz and a skydive.
Brian Doran, SRC Chief Executive commented “The money raised will make a real difference to people living within our local community. It has also brought staff together, leading to a more positive and engaging place to work.”
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Southern Regional College students achieved outstanding results this year with a 91% pass rate in ‘A’ Levels and a 94% pass rate in STEM subjects.
Micheal Curtis from Newry achieved an amazing AAAA grades in his four ‘AS’ Levels. Olivia Ingham from Portadown achieved a fantastic AAA grades in Biology, Chemistry and Sociology and is hoping to study Medicine or Biomedical Sciences.
Joshua Harding from Armagh achieved A*AB grades and is continuing his studies at Queen’s University Belfast studying Computer Science. Michael Rogers achieved AAB grades and will study Engineering at Queen’s University, Belfast.
Michael McDonald, Head of School for Applied Science and Academic Studies said, “This has been a great year for our learners. I am very proud of our achievements and it is a real testament to the hard work and effort of staff and learners that we have performed so well.”
Many students have been accepted onto courses in Accounting, Business Studies, Chemistry, Computing, Communications, Dietetics, Drama, Engineering, Geography, History, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Radiography, Speech Therapy and Veterinary Science.
Southern Regional College offers a wide range of ‘A’ Level subjects which can be studied full or part time on the Armagh Campus. We welcome students who are studying ‘A’ Levels for the first time as well as those who wish to repeat one or more ‘AS’ or ‘A’ Level. Our Newry Campus offers ‘AS’ Levels in Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Sociology as well as an intensive ‘A’ Level in Business Studies, which can be completed in one year.
SRC Clearing Day will be held on Thursday 29th August 2019 from 11am to 4pm on all our campuses. Staff will be available to discuss course options and inform students of places available.
For further information please phone 0300 123 1223, visit www.src.ac.uk or call into any of our six campuses to find out what options are available for your future.
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These three ladies certainly made the right career choice choosing the Higher Level Apprenticeship in Applied Industrial Science (Chemical) at Southern Regional College, in conjunction with Norbrook Laboratories, back in 2014!
Anne Clarke (Armagh), Jill Saunders (Portadown) and Sarah Hamilton (Banbridge) joined the Higher Level Apprenticeship programme, where they spent one day per week in college and the remainder was spent employed with Norbrook Laboratories in Newry. They didn’t have to pay any fees, earned while they learned, gained full-time work experience and a higher level qualification! All three have now graduated from Ulster University with a BSc in Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences achieving 1st and 2:1 classifications and are settling into full-time employment with Norbrook.
If you would like to find out more about this alternative route to higher education - don’t worry, we still have places available on the Higher Level Apprenticeship programme in Applied Industrial Sciences with Norbrook Laboratories. For more information, please contact 0300 123 1223, email info@src.ac.uk or visit www.src.ac.uk
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Two science students, Adam Purvis and Sarah Casey, from Southern Regional College have qualified to compete in the WorldSkills UK Final in Laboratory Technicians in the NEC in Birmingham in November.
WorldSkills UK is the largest skills, apprenticeships and careers event and it aims to boost the technical skills, mindset and employability of students and apprentices through their participation in skills competitions.
Adam Purvis, from Stewartstown, won the WorldSkills Laboratory Technician NI Regional Heat which took place in June and Sarah Casey, from Dungannon, came 2nd place in the same competition. This was the first WorldSkills NI Regional Heat for Laboratory Technicians and was hosted at SRC, the only Life Sciences Hub for Further Education in Northern Ireland.
Adam is completing the Higher Level Apprenticeship in Applied Industrial Sciences (Chemical Pathway) at Southern Regional College - Newry Campus and is employed with Almac in Craigavon.
Sarah Casey is currently completing the Higher Level Apprenticeship in Applied Industrial Sciences (Life Sciences Pathway) at Southern Regional College – Portadown Campus and is employed with Randox in Crumlin.
Brian Doran, Chief Executive at SRC said “We are delighted that both Adam and Sarah have qualified for the WorldSkills UK Final being held in Birmingham later this year. This is a fantastic achievement and competing on the WorldSkills platform is a unique opportunity for students across the sector to showcase their technical and analytical abilities. Both Adam and Sarah have performed exceptionally well and we wish them every success when they compete in the final.”
The laboratory technician competition is based on real life scenarios in science that demonstrate technical competence in the use of complex instrumentation, laboratory equipment and skills. The competition is designed to reflect the work of a laboratory technician and tests their skills in techniques and procedures to solve practical problems through analysis, tests and measurements while ensuring safe and ethical working practices. Laboratory technicians work in diverse settings which include healthcare, industry, research and educational institutions.
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Southern Regional College’s Higher Education graduates recently celebrated their success with family, friends and College staff at the annual Graduation Ceremony held at the Armagh City Hotel on Friday 30 August.
Over 600 graduates were conferred with Foundation Degrees, Higher Level Apprenticeships, Higher Level Diplomas and professional qualifications from a range of courses delivered at the College’s Newry, Armagh, Banbridge, Lurgan and Portadown Campuses. Honours Degrees delivered in conjunction with Ulster University and John Moores University Liverpool were also conferred in Business Studies and Creative Imaging.
This year marked the first of the Higher Level Apprentices graduating, 18 in total, from Almac, Norbrook, Rich Sauces and Thompson Aerospace. These apprentices have gained a level 5 higher education qualification while being employed by a local company, with many continuing their employment as a result of the successful training programme.
Mr Brian Doran, Chief Executive of Southern Regional College, welcomed the graduates, their family and friends and paid tribute to the work of College staff in providing an excellent learning experience for graduates.
“We are delighted to officially mark and celebrate the achievements of more than 600 students who have worked so hard for their qualifications. Their hard work and dedication to learning is to be highly commended and we’re extremely proud of this year’s ‘class of 2019’. 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 which have contributed to this year’s graduate success.”
SRC also welcomed Mr Kevin McEnoy from BT to present the BT Award for Excellence in Blended Learning. The BT prize was awarded to Maura Donnelly who completed the Higher Level Apprenticeship in Applied Science. Maura has now progressed to the Level 6 Higher Level Apprenticeship and has secured a full-time position with Almac.
Student of the Year Awards were presented by the FE Director at the Department for the Economy, Beverley Harrison to both full-time and part-time Higher Education students who had excelled in their studies.
The College has over 40 different higher level courses including Higher National Certificates and Diplomas, Foundation Degrees, Higher Level Apprenticeships and Honours Degrees in a wide range of subject areas including; Creative Imaging, Computing, Construction, Engineering, English and History, Hospitality, Health Care, Multimedia, Tourism and Sports Science.
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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