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Three local graduates are off to study in the USA this month after being accepted for the Study USA programme.
Ciara Jones from Newry, Áine Cunningham from Kilkeel and Daniel Murray from Rostrevor will be among 61 students from across Northern Ireland on the Study USA programme, which enables students to study business or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths) subjects for a year in American colleges, across 28 States, helping to develop their career prospects when they return to Northern Ireland.
The British Council, which is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, manages Study USA on behalf of the Department for the Economy – and since its formation in 1994, the initiative has sent over 2000 students from Northern Ireland to all four corners of the United States.
Ciara (21), from Newry, is a previous pupil at St. Paul’s High School Bessbrook and has recently graduated from Ulster University. She will spend her year in the US at Bellarmine University, Kentucky.
Speaking ahead of her departure, she said: “I decided to participate in the Study USA programme not just solely for the amazing travel opportunity but to step out of my comfort zone and expand my skills set. This once in a lifetime opportunity will provide me with valuable international experience and allow me to become a more unique candidate for future employers. I believe Study USA will help me develop as a whole; I will gain independence and become more adaptable while also gaining knowledge in new subjects.
“I am currently still considering my options for when I return from America - I might seek a legal professional role or complete a masters.”
Meanwhile, Áine (21), is from Kilkeel and an ex-pupil at St Louis Grammar School. A graduate of Queen’s University in Law and Politics, she is off to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana.
She said: “I applied for Study USA as I’ve always felt a longing to go out and explore the world and have always been drawn to the US, as it is a melting pot of culture.
“I’m nervous about making new friends as I am naturally quite a shy and reserved person until I feel comfortable around people – however, I’m so excited to be able to push myself out of my comfort zone, develop my confidence and share my craic! “
Fellow 21-year-old Daniel Murray is from Rostrevor and a former pupil of St. Colman's College, Newry. A Law graduate from Queen’s, he is heading to Saint Martin's University in Washington.
He said: “I wanted to take part in the programme to study under a new discipline, increase my employability, have a new experience, and develop my interpersonal skills. This will make me more qualified, with business experience to compliment my Law degree. My hope to make good connections in America and come back as a better version of myself.”
The Study USA programme was postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but with current conditions, it has been decided that the programme can proceed this academic year.
Jonathan Stewart, Director, British Council Northern Ireland, said: “This has been a challenging year for our students, and we are delighted that they will be able to take part in the programme this coming academic year. They will join a growing alumni of students to act as ambassadors for Northern Ireland and our institutions, developing important long-term links and connections between the two countries. Through international mobility programmes like Study USA, students are able to enhance their employability skills and also obtain greater intercultural understanding, helping to prepare them for work in a global economy. We wish this year’s students every success, and trust that new connections and friendships will be developed in the year ahead.”
Study USA continues the British Council’s work, building connection, understanding and trust between people in the UK and overseas through arts, education and English language teaching. To find out more about their work in Northern Ireland visit NIRELAND.BRITISHCOUNCIL.ORG or follow on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Applications for Study USA 2022/23 will open in late Autumn.
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Students find out their A Level and AS Level results today although like last year it has been very different with no exams held and results decided via teacher assessments.
Congratulating the students Education Minister Michelle McIlveen has acknowledged the exceptional circumstances in which they have been awarded.
The percentage of students receiving the highest grades continued to increase, with 50.8% of A Level entries awarded the highest grades of A*- A, a 7.5 percentage point increase on previous outcomes. The percentage of students achieving grades A* to E was similar to 2020: with over 99% of students being awarded these grades.
Minister McIlveen said: “I wish to congratulate all the young people who have received their A Level results today. These outcomes reflect the assessments made by the people who know you best, your teachers.
“I appreciate the past few months have been particularly challenging but our young people have demonstrated a determination not to let this pandemic put their lives on hold. Today, they have been awarded qualifications which reflect their hard work and will enable them to move forward confidently with their future plans.
“Teachers and school leaders had a very difficult job to do and I want to express my appreciation for their hard work and commitment to their students in challenging circumstances.”
Following the cancellation of exams in January, the Department and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) worked with school leaders, trade unions, employing authorities and the Education and Training Inspectorate to put in place alternative awarding arrangements.
To support schools and colleges in Northern Ireland, CCEA provided extensive guidance and training and external quality assurance ensured grades were determined appropriately.
Concluding the Minister said: “All of our young people have shown incredible resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. I am confident that this year’s alternative awarding arrangements were the best available in the circumstances. I hope that young people will now move forward confidently to their next step in education, employment or training.”
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Engineering student Daniel Forde, has been awarded the inaugural title of ‘Overall SRC Student of the Year’ at the recent SRC Student Recognition Awards. This award was generously sponsored by awarding body ‘OCN Northern Ireland’.
Daniel, from Portadown, has just completed the second year of a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering at the College’s Newry campus. At the College’s annual Student Recognition Awards, which had to be held online this year due to restrictions on gatherings, Daniel received the Special Achievement Award within the Faculty of Building Technology & Engineering. All faculty award winners were then considered, to decide who would be crowned Overall SRC Student of the Year. Daniel was chosen as the very worthy winner by the College’s senior curriculum staff.
During his time at SRC, Daniel has proven to be a hard-working, conscientious student. His lecturers report that while at times he may have found the course challenging, he displayed a continual determination to achieve. His attendance at both online and on campus teaching sessions was excellent, and he coped extremely well in what has been a challenging year for all our students. His lecturers remarked that Daniel always actively participated in class and demonstrated significant maturity in verifying his understanding and seeking clarification. Throughout his two years at SRC, Daniel has formed a close group of likeminded students who work to support and encourage each other. This demonstrates his wisdom and synergy in learning.
The overall student of the year title was sponsored by OCN Northern Ireland and Daniel received his prize of a HP 14" Chromebook and accessories.
On receiving his award Daniel commented: “I am delighted to be awarded the first ever SRC Overall Student of the Year award. This has been achieved through hard work and dedication to my course and with the help of SRC staff. I would like to thank SRC for the excellent teaching and support that I have received over the past 2 years and also thank OCN Northern Ireland for their generous sponsorship of this award. This laptop will be extremely useful to me as I progress to study a higher education course”.
Daniel has already been active in his future career development and has sought out employers to facilitate his progression onto the Higher Level Apprenticeship in Mechatronic Engineering at SRC in September 2021. We have no doubt that Daniel will continue to use and develop his skillset and continue to achieve.
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Road Safe NI, Newry Mourne and Down Committee are delighted with the response to their recent Road Safety Poster Competition aimed at Primary 5 children.
The competition is one of a number of road safety campaigns the charity run annually, aimed at this vulnerable road user group throughout the year and the project was supported by Newry Mourne & Down Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSP’s) who helped Road Safe NI local committee volunteers judge the posters for their council district.
Road Safe NI Newry, Mourne & Down Committee Volunteer Tricia O’Neill commented that “Children and young people are a high-risk group on the roads and throughout lockdown, more families and children have been using the roads for exercise, therefore the aim of the competition was to educate children on road safety by encouraging them to think of key road safety messages and develop these through art and creativity. We would like to thank our local PCSP for their continued support of our local road safety projects”.
There were two categories to choose from, hand drawn category & digital category and the judges were so impressed by the high standard of the entries, they found it difficult to choose the top four winners for their district.
Congratulations to the four winners selected for the Newry Mourne & Down Council District; Paraic McGenity, Georgia McGinn, Eibhlin McKeown and Emily McMinn.
The winning posters from the local competition were then entered into Road Safe NI’s regional poster competition along with other district competition winners across Northern Ireland and posters were chosen by regional competition sponsors Drivetech (from the AA) and winners received a Regional prize. Congratulations to Paraic McGenity who won joint 1st place in the Northern Ireland regional competition and has received a £100 Amazon gift voucher prize.
Posters entered into the competition will be utilised by the charity and partner organisations to promote Road Safety throughout the year through social media platforms and other projects.
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Southern Regional College Media students in Newry went virtual this year with last weeks end of year show highlighting the talents of their Year 2 Level 3 students. The students also showcase their talents on their individual web pages.
Work is showcased from Matthew Fegan, Ben Cole, Yasmin Britton, Katie Haire, Marija Zaueraite, Conor O'Loughlin, Shannon Cella, Shannon Apicella, Shea Davey, Patrick Gallagher, Jack Hughes, Gabriel Larmour and Aoife Bellew.
Student Aoife Bellew specialises in drawing anthropomorphic animal characters ('furries'), and her distinctive toony art style takes inspiration from a number of artists, including OrlandoFox and PacoPanda.
Conor O'Loughlin spent the last 2 years acquiring an interest and love for photography, especially portraiture as he explains "it gives people a chance to express themselves in a way that they see themselves." He has also built up his Instagram page Conor O Loughlin Photography.
Marija Zaueraite has enjoyed developing her vector graphics skills in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere Pro and After Effects and would love to pursue a career in graphic design.
Shannon Apicella's main interests included gaming, so being able to design 3D models of her own sketches really made her more passionate about wanting to work as a 3D modeller.
Check out the SRC Media Exhibition showcase Facebook page at WWW.FACEBOOK.COM
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Southern Regional College has been shortlisted for the WorldSkills Hero award at the 2021 TES FE Awards.
The Awards recognise the most outstanding individuals and institutions that the further education sector has to offer.
Helen Hughes, Curriculum Area Manager for Hair and Beauty at Southern Regional College said; “We are all absolutely delighted to learn that the SRC Hair and Beauty Team has been shortlisted for the WorldSkills Hero Award at the forthcoming Tes FE Awards 2021. Beauty Therapy Lecturer, Marie-Louise Devlin, and Hairdressing Lecturer, Rita Mallen, are a duo to be reckoned with when it comes to competition success. Together, they have achieved incredible competition success with WorldSkills as well as other local, regional and national hair and beauty competitions. They work tirelessly throughout the academic year to provide mentoring, training, support and guidance to students as well as overseeing the logistical requirements and marketing of each competition. Their dedication and commitment to hair and beauty training deserves this prestigious achievement.”
Tes Head of FE, Julia Belgutay, said: “Further education providers have excelled in what has been a truly challenging year and the amazing individuals, teams and institutions on our Tes FE Awards shortlist showcase that. Our judges were highly impressed with the calibre of entries and I want to congratulate everyone who has made the shortlist – it is a brilliant achievement."
After a very successful online awards ceremony last year, we are once again holding this year’s awards ceremony virtually. Winners will be announced on Friday 28 May 2021.
To see the full list of who is in the running and to reserve your free place, visit TESFEAWARDS.CO.UK
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Southern Regional College’s annual Big Apprenticeship Event is going online and launching next Tuesday 27 April.
As part of NI Apprenticeship Week, SRC is launching this online resource, which contains a wealth of information on Apprenticeships and the hundreds of Apprenticeship vacancies in the SRC region. Whether you are an applicant, parent or guardian, employer or teacher, we aim to delve into every aspect of Apprenticeships and answer any questions you may have.
You will hear from businesses, councils and education experts on key aspects of Apprenticeships. Our experts will explore questions such as: Apprenticeship options versus University options, how young people’s attitudes have changed towards university because of COVID and how Apprenticeships sit within the economic growth strategy for our council regions.
We have two employer panel discussions available. One from Northern Ireland’s top science employers, Randox, Almac and Norbrook, who will discuss being an Apprentice in the science industry and the opportunities they have available from September 2021. You will also hear from First Derivatives, SlurryKat, Concrete Batching Systems and McGuinness Plumbing who will detail their experience of recruiting Apprentices and the benefits it has had on their businesses.
Current SRC Apprentices from Newry Bid, Fred Elliot Butchers, Orchard Clay & Tile and MG Accountants who are studying level 2, 3 and Higher Level Apprenticeships will talk about being an Apprentice, why they chose to do an Apprenticeship, how they have benefitted and what their day looks like.
If you tune in between Tuesday 27 April and Thursday 29 April there will be a daily Q&A chat facility between 1-3pm and 6-8pm. Our experts will be on hand live to answer any questions you may have. Links for applying for an Apprenticeship or seeking to recruit an Apprentice will also be available within this online resource.
Our online resource will continue to be available to you after NI Apprenticeship Week. This will enable you to browse the wealth of information on Apprenticeships and review the content which is relevant to you at any time from the comfort of your home. There will also be a contact facility for any further questions regarding Apprenticeships.
Don’t miss out and book your place today SRC-BIG-APPRENTICESHIP
SRC would like to thank both the Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council and Newry, Mourne & Down District Council for their ongoing sponsorship and support of SRC’s Big Apprenticeship Event and commitment to Apprenticeships and HLA’s in the Southern Region.
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The Economy Minister Diane Dodds has announced a new Assured Skills Academy in welding at Southern Regional College.
The Assured Skills Academy will see 12 successful applicants receive industry-standard welding training during a five-week course at the college’s Portadown campus, followed by two weeks of consolidation training at one of three engineering companies in the local area.
Participants who complete the Academy are guaranteed an interview for a welding position at one of the companies: AJ Power, Craigavon; NC Engineering, Hamiltonsbawn; and SFM Engineering, Keady.
Highlighting the opportunity, the Minister said: “I am pleased to announce this Assured Skills Academy with Southern Regional College in welding is open for applications.
“People with welding skills are in high demand in our local engineering and manufacturing sector. This Assured Skills Academy will equip participants with these skills, through an industry-recognised qualification, and position them very strongly to kick-start a new career in welding.”
The Minister added: “With no experience in welding needed, and £155 per week training allowance provided to participants on the Academy, I urge anyone who is interested to apply.”
Participants on the Academy will earn a level 2 City and Guilds Award in MIG Welding Skills on completion of the course.
Brian Doran, Principal and CEO of Southern Regional College, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for people to learn the skills they need to start a rewarding career in welding. We are pleased to partner with three local businesses who will provide real-world training and experience to participants on the Academy, with the guarantee of a job interview for those who complete the course.”
Training will be delivered at SRC’s Portadown campus, from Monday 24 May to Friday 25 June. Two weeks’ consolidation training in a working environment will then take place Monday 28 June to Friday 9 July. Training will be full-time, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
All applicants must be at least 18 years old by Monday 24 May 2021 and currently eligible to work in the UK. No experience is needed.
Applications are open now and close at noon on Friday 30 April.
For more information and to apply, visit WWW.NIDIRECT.GOV.UK
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The six Colleges of Further and Higher Education are working in partnership on an Apprenticeship Mentoring Project, funded through the Apprenticeship Challenge Fund, which supports new and innovative approaches to the development, recruitment and delivery of apprenticeships.
The Challenge Fund is part of the Department for the Economy’s Apprenticeship Recovery Package for Northern Ireland which channels financial support to help the apprenticeship system respond to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
William Greer, Chief Training and Contracts Officer at SERC, lead partner for the Apprenticeship Mentoring Project said “We will be working together to devise an employer mentoring programme to equip the managers of apprentices with the skills they need to effectively support and develop apprentices and apprenticeship programmes. An online module will certify employers as a trained Apprentice mentor. The resources produced will also help employers to better understand the structure of Apprenticeship NI and Higher-Level Apprenticeship programmes with the strategic objective of increasing participation.”
He added, “The workplace can be a daunting place for new apprentices and the project will improve their experience of going to work for the first time, confident that someone is looking out for them in the workplace. The overall objective is to ensure that apprentices feel more valued and are better supported and to stay on track and achieve their qualifications.”
Fiona Bradley, Assistant Director for Further Education and Training at Southern Regional College said;
“We are delighted to be part of this collaborative initiative to help further drive and support the NI local and regional economy. Our local businesses have and will continue to operate in a challenging climate for the foreseeable future as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The support which the Challenge Fund will provide our local businesses coupled with the support and expertise of our experienced staff, will certainly help them navigate their way through this crisis.”
For further information please email: apprentices@src.ac.uk
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