Write a comment
Pupils from Windsor Hill PS, Newry and St Oliver’s NS, Carlingford took part in a ‘maths with no borders’ workshop at Newry Library as part of Maths Week Ireland 2019.
Over 350,000 people across the island of Ireland got involved in Maths Week at schools and colleges including Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast, Stranmillis University College, W5 and Armagh Planetarium. Maths entertainers also presented an inter-generational event at Nazareth Care Village in Belfast and school workshops in libraries in Belfast and Newry.
Maths Week is the biggest celebration of mathematics of its kind and aims to promote the benefits of maths to pupils and the wider community. The all-island event, supported locally by the Department for the Economy, promotes a positive image of mathematics and its applications in everyday life.
Write a comment
Southern Regional College is launching its new online admissions portal for all full-time higher education courses for September 2020 entry on Tuesday 5 November 2019.
This means that all current BTEC Level 3, A Level or mature learners will be able to submit their online application to Southern Regional College for any full-time higher education course (September 2020 entry) from 5th November 2019 onwards.
SRC will be hosting a launch evening on 5 November at all of its main campuses: Newry, Armagh Killylea Road, Banbridge, Lurgan or Portadown from 4pm – 8pm.
Prospective students will be able to speak to highly experienced and enthusiastic lecturers to gain any further information required in advance of submitting their Higher Education course application. Staff will also be available on the evening to assist with the completion of the online applications.
Brian Doran, Principal and Chief Executive at Southern Regional College said “We are delighted to announce the launch of our new Higher Education Applications Portal on 5th November. SRC has a wide range of Higher National and Foundation Degree courses and we offer a wide range of pathways which include full-time, part-time and higher level apprenticeship. Studying at our College brings a wide range of advantages: our full-time fees are lower than the local universities; by living and studying at home you will not incur the same level of debt as a student studying at university; our class sizes are smaller than those at university and you will therefore obtain a greater level of support from our course teams. Coupled with this our higher education courses have been adjudged by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) to be of the highest standard.”
So if you are thinking of progressing to higher level study in September 2020, make SRC your first choice!
The College offers a wide range of university level courses - right here on your doorstep ranging from Foundation Degrees, HNCs, HNDs and Higher Level Apprenticeships - in areas such as Computing, Engineering, Interactive Multimedia, Accounting, Sport to Sciences to name but a few. SRC also work in partnership with leading universities like Queens University, Ulster University, Liverpool John Moores and have just recently formed a working partnership with Open University.
Write a comment
Windsor Hill Primary School in Newry is just one of the schools taking part in a ‘maths with no borders’ workshop at Newry City Library tomorrow Thursday 17 October along with St Oliver’s National School, Carlingford.
Maths Week aims to promote a positive image of maths. Highlighting its importance in everyday life with events taking place throughout the week at schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and other centres throughout NI.
The all-island event, supported locally by the Department for the Economy, promotes a positive image of mathematics and its applications in everyday life.
To date over 300,000 people have registered across the island of Ireland to participate in hundreds of events and organisers are hoping to make the 2019 event bigger and better than ever before.
Sheila Donegan, who co-founded Maths Week alongside Waterford Institute of Technology colleague Eoin Gill, says we should act now to give children the best possible start to a successful future career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“Our children’s futures are reliant on a firm grounding in basic mathematics, so it’s important we promote a positive image and engage young people in maths-based activities in a fun learning environment from an early age,” she explains.
She emphasises the importance of promoting a positive “culture of mathematics” to provide encouragement for young people to help them realise their untapped potential.
“Mathematics is fundamental to our everyday lives. We should promote a positive culture of mathematics to encourage our young people to pursue high-skilled roles not only in the STEM sector but also in the creative industries.
A host of events are taking place across Northern Ireland during the week with event partners including Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast, Stranmillis University College, W5 and Armagh Planetarium.
Maths presenters showcasing their maths work and skills locally include maths entertainer Ken Farqhar, Bubby Maths clown Caroline Ainslie, Enigma, the Secret World of Codes expert James Grimes and maths educator and puzzle challenger Doug Buchanan. Also taking part is Izak9 founder Franz Schlindwein and Mark Saul, director of American founded Julia Robinson Festival of Maths who is presenting to schools at Queen’s University Belfast on Friday 18 October.
Maths Week Ireland takes place 12-20 October. For more information visit WWW.MATHSWEEK.IE
Write a comment
An initiative now in its fourth year, has brought Southern Regional College and educational institutions in Finland, Holland, Spain and Scotland together, helping build relationships throughout the EU.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Charlie Casey recently hosted a reception this week in the Council chamber for the Southern Regional College and 35 EU partners from the ‘Network of Networks’ group.
Cllr Casey said, “I am delighted to be able to host this reception for further education lecturers. I am also proud of the work that the Southern Regional College and other local colleges have done to continue to build relationships, share best practice and learn from each other.
“The Network has proved to be an excellent vehicle for European cooperation. The consortium has been able to bid for EU funds and on an annual basis, it is involved in 96 Erasmus+ projects, sending over 4,000 students and 1,000 staff on educational visits. This year alone, the Southern Regional College has received EU funding of approximately €900,000 for Erasmus+ projects.
“Our council has the empowerment and improvement of the capacity of our communities as one of our strategic priorities and there is no doubt that education is key to achieving this objective.”
Southern Regional College’s international programme is managed through the External Funding and International Affairs Team. It uses the EU Erasmus+ programme as the main vehicle for student and staff educational visits to partner institutions, and for implementing a range of innovative strategic partnership projects.
Write a comment
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
Write a comment
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.
Write a comment
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
Write a comment
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.
Write a comment
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.”
 |
 |
 |