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Students from Southern Regional College (SRC) have won a record haul of awards at the provinces premier construction skills competition.
A total of 17 awards were presented to SRC during Skillbuild NI, the prestigious annual construction industry awards for apprentices, which was also held at the SRC campus in Portadown for the first time.
At an event in which more than 80 promising students from right across Northern Ireland pitched their skills to win 11 coveted titles ranging from brickwork to wall and floor tiling, SRC sailed home with six first-place medal titles and six second and third-place medals combined.
SRC was duly awarded the Skillbuild NI Department of Economy Cup for the highest number of medals won in the competition as well as the Skillbuild NI Chairpersons Cup for the largest number of entries. SRC also won the prestigious David Cooper Trophy for biggest tally of medals secured across 40 years of competitions.
Skillbuild NI is run and governed by CITB NI and is supported by the Department for Economy and key local employers and organisations such as the Construction Industry Federation, City and Guilds, Colleges NI and the Federation of Master Builders, is designed not only to encourage trainees to improve their skills but to showcase examples of the quality workmanship produced locally.
Every apprentice is challenged to produce quality work in tight timeframes and are continuously assessed on their performance by an expert panel of industry professionals.
The Newry Greenbank campus student success is as follows. In the Wall and Floor Tiling competition Sean McLoughlin from Newry won Gold, Daniel McBurney from Banbridge took home silver and Cathal Murphy from Newry got Bronze. For the Painting and Decorating Conor McCelland from Hilltown came first and Jordan Hughes from Bessbrook was second. Michael Hughes from Newry was third in the Cabinet Making section and Thomas Fegan from Newry came first in Bricklaying.
Richard Shannon from Kilkeel won the Haldane Fisher Cup for Best Overall Skillbuild NI Young Apprentice.
Maurice Johnston, Chairman CITB NI said “CITB NI is proud to have been involved in construction skills competitions for 40 years. Skillbuild NI is about raising the status and standards of professional and technical education and training. We have a proud record of success at skills competitions not only on a local level but also on a regional, national and world level.
“Skillbuild NI gives all the competitors a chance to showcase their skills and we congratulate everyone who has taken part and those who have excelled in their trade. Skillbuild NI couldn’t happen without the support of the local sponsors and training network and we extend our thanks to all who have helped the apprentices to be able to compete at this competition.
“We would also like to extend our best wishes to the Northern Ireland competitors who will be taking part in UK team selection for WorldSkills Abu Dhabi in October. Our young people are more ambitious than ever and we hope that Skillbuild NI National Finals will be part of their journey and future careers within the construction industry.”
In a highly competitive environment, marks were awarded for showing essential skills such as following detailed instructions, producing accurate work outputs, being economical with materials and working to strict timescales. Apprentices representing SRC made the biggest impact on the competition.
Brian Doran, Chief Executive, Southern Regional College, said “We at Southern Regional College are privileged to have been selected to host this year’s prestigious Skillbuild NI National Finals. I congratulate the competitors, many of whom have travelled long distances to participate in this event.
“For competitors, today is an important stepping stone to future skills competition success throughout the UK and Worldskills competitions.
“I wish all the competitors every success in the future and I have every confidence that those selected to go forward to UK and Worldskills competition will continue the proud tradition of success at a national and international level.”
Winners for SRC at Skillbuild NI 2017
Brickwork 1st Thomas Fegan – Newry (Greenbank Campus)
Cabinet Making 1st Tommy Helliwell - Tandragee (Armagh Campus)
Cabinet Making 3rd-Michael Hughes – Newry (Greenbank Campus)
Joinery 1st Richard Shannon – Kilkeel (Greenbank Campus)
Painting and Decorating 1st Conor McClelland – Hilltown (Greenbank Campus)
Painting and Decorating 2nd Jordan Hughes – Bessbrook (Greenbank Campus)
Plumbing 1st Nathan Dodds – Castleblaney (Armagh Campus)
Plumbing 2nd Shane Murray – Keady (Armagh Campus)
Plumbing 3rd Jacob Reid – Dungannon (Portadown Campus)
Wall and Floor Tiling 1st Sean McLoughlin – Newry (Greenbank Campus)
Wall and Floor Tiling 2nd Daniel McBurney – Banbridge (Greenbank Campus)
Wall and Floor Tiling 3rd Cathal Murphy – Newry (Greenbank Campus)
Paddy Maguire a Painting lecturer at SRC won the Hugh Gettinby Trophy for Excellence in Construction Training (awarded each year to an individual involved in training of young people who has displayed high standards of success and dedication towards Skillbuild NI ethos)
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Through the Shared Area initiative, and with support from NM&DDC’s ‘Live here Love here’ funding, pupils from St Joseph’s Boys’ High School have designed, constructed and planted-out wooden window boxes that have been distributed to local homes around the school.
Event coordinator, Mr Brendan Fearon praised the pupils for their outstanding efforts in helping to enhance the environmental footprint of the local area as well as thanking Mr Emanuel McEvoy and Ms Kathleen Lowry from the local area in helping to promote the work involved.
As part of the capacity building element of the project – a variety of gardening tools and compost have been made available for residents living close to St Joseph’s to use, and anyone interested in availing of these resources is asked to contact the school itself or Ms Lowry at the Mourne View & Linen Hall Community Association. For more information and images, please see: www.stjosephsnewry.com
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The Business Studies Department at St Paul's High School recently hosted a visit by Andy Haldane, Chief Economist and Executive Director for Monetary Analysis, Research and Statistics, Bank of England. Andy has responsibility for research and statistics across the Bank and was previously named by Time magazine as one of the world’s top 100 most influential people.
Dearbhail McDonald, Group Business Editor at Independent News & Media and one of Ireland’s leading journalists facilitated the Q&A session that followed Andy’s talk.
The morning began with a pre-event reception in the school which was facilitated by Mr Jarlath Burns and the Business Studies Department and was sponsored by Nisa Hughes, Camlough. Special guests included Adrian Toner, First Derivatives, Geraldine O’Hagan, Bank of Ireland and Aoife Robb, FPM.
After this, the group moved to the Assembly Hall where students from St Paul’s High School, St Mary’s High School Newry, St Mark’s High School Warrenpoint, Newry High School, Newtownhamilton High School and St Patrick’s High School, Keady were in attendance. Andy was speaking as part of the Speakers for Schools Charity. Speakers for Schools provide speakers to secondary schools to inspire students and broaden their horizons through access to the insights, experiences and expertise of today’s leading figures.
Andy spoke to a captivated audience about interest rates, Brexit, the economy and inflation. After his talk to the students he was subjected to rigorous questioning from the students and from Dearbhail.
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Southern Regional College student Jude Sands has recently won the John Haldane Memorial Race in Newry.
Jude powered to the finish line on a rain soaked afternoon to beat off the competition.
Jude studies the Foundation Degree in Sports Science at Newry campus. He is from Newry and trains as part of Newry Wheelers cycling club.
Jude said of his win, ““It felt great to get the win, especially on home ground and to be the first Newry Wheeler to win the Haldane since 1993,” His next challenges will be the Tour of the North and Tour of Ulster, and he is looking forward to stage racing again.
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Celebration of 50 Years at St Paul's High School in Bessbrook continued today with a Golden Jubilee Mass of Thanksgiving in the school's sports hall with Archbishop Eamon Martin, Primate of all Ireland, the main celebrant.
St. Paul’s opened in September 1966 and over the ensuing years has gone from strength to strength.
Guests at the mass included past principals, chaplains, original pupils and staff from 1966; members of our board of governors and of course our present pupils and staff.
The music was performed by the school choirs under the direction of Mr Colm Murphy, Ms Bridie Mc Evoy and Mr Peter Slane. It was an integral part of the celebrations helping to create a spiritually up- lifting, joyous and moving experience for all.
In thanking all those who contributed to the Mass, Jarlath Burns, principal, paid tribute to the staff and pupils who had passed away during the past fifty years and said the school community held them in a special place in their hearts. He also had a special word of praise for the three past principals who were in attendance and whose work and effort had got the school to the place it is today. He welcomed principals from the local schools and stated that St. Paul's enjoys excellent relations with all its partner schools. He concluded by saying that this was a momentous day for the school and that all involved should feel proud of what the school stands for and what it has achieved and that the future was bright for a school that is so close to the hearts of the people of south Armagh.
Giving his reading on the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus Archbishop Eamon Martin said “If we were true to the motto of St Paul’s Bessbrook (from St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians) “In caritate radicati”. or “Rooted in Charity”, ‘rooted in love’, then people would have no problem seeing in us the face of Jesus, and we would be quick to recognise the same in them. That is why I am pleased that, since this school’s foundation 50 years ago, it has always considered it important to value and celebrate the gifts and goodness in all its pupils and staff and visitors. And that of course is what Saint Paul himself would want of you, because, as he writes to the Romans in today’s Second Reading - “the body has many different parts, and all these parts have different functions, but we are all called to use our different gifts as God wants us to”. This school has consistently found ways of bringing together a whole variety of gifts, in its pupils, its staff, its supportive parents, its Governors and chaplains, so that together the sum total of all these gifts is greater than all its parts!
"Today I want to thank the generations of people who have made St Paul’s the great school that it is, proud of its fine tradition of faith and culture, and “rooted” in the love of God. This school has become a beacon of education that is open to all and challenging for all, education that appreciates the wide range of talents and abilities of young people, challenging them all to excellence - not just academically or in sport and music (although St Paul’s does that so well). but also in values like kindness, friendship, generosity, Christian charity, and awareness of others.”
The year’s celebrations will be completed with an exciting Gala Ball in The Carrickdale Hotel, on May 5th. Further details on the ball and other events can be obtained from the school.
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Art students at Southern Regional College’s Newry Campus will be launching their annual Art Exhibition during the College’s Open Day on Thursday 2 March.
This student-led and organised event will feature a wide variety of pieces created by the College’s Level 3 Art and Design students, ranging from traditional art to new age art and will include fine art, textiles, 3D art and graphic design, photography and animation. Caoimhe Clements, Level 3 Art student at the College, designed the printed and digital promotional materials for this exhibition.
The art exhibition is free and is open to the public to attend during the College’s Open Day event on Thursday 2 March from 11am-8pm. The exhibition will be formally opened on the evening from 6:00pm – 7:30pm and light refreshments will be served. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Fidelma Logan, Art and Design lecturer at Southern Regional College said “The students have worked incredibly hard in the preparation and organisation of this exhibition. It has been a fabulous opportunity for them from creating the pieces, designing the promotional materials, organising the exhibition space and actively promoting the event within the local community. We are very proud of their efforts and the professional approach they have demonstrated and we are confident that their efforts will be very well received by the public on the evening.”
This exhibition will also be an excellent opportunity for students considering the pursuit of career within the art and design field and there will be experienced and enthusiastic lecturing staff and students at the exhibition who will be happy to answer any queries from potential students, their parents and/or art enthusiasts.
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St Joseph's Boys High School in Newry are taking part in Catholic School’s Week 2017, taking place from 29 January to 4 February, This years theme is "Care for our Common Home"
As a school St Joseph’s has a strong tradition of positive environmental improvement work including creating a mini-orchard, planting trees, litter-picks, paper recycling scheme as well as several big projects scheduled for later this year.
In addition however, they have a deeper and more pertinent understanding of what it means to care for our common home. At St Joseph’s staff place the Gospel values of love and respect at the heart of their educational, pastoral, social and communal pursuits in the belief a school is not merely a building of bricks and mortar, but rather a family who live out - through action - the Christian attributes of inclusion, empathy, tolerance, compassion, autonomy and forgiveness towards all, so that each and every person at St Joseph’s is truly cared for in our common home.
Citizenship co-ordinator and RE teacher Mr Brendan Fearon commented that; “During turbulent times around the world, we hold dear to our emancipatory beliefs that every single person is welcomed, valued and respected unconditionally at our school. Through understanding our differences and celebrating our diversities we have the ability to grow our capacity to make an active difference in the world around us by dismantling the barriers of ignorance and toppling the walls of intolerance.
"Pope Francis reminds us that ‘This is important: to get to know people, listen, expand the circle of ideas. The world is crisscrossed by roads that come closer together and move apart, but the important thing is that they lead towards the Good."
Mr Fearon concluded, "At St Joseph’s we believe that, rooted in our Catholic faith, we lead by example, and that our collective actions lead towards the Good. We believe that individually at St Joseph’s we are Irish, Polish, Spanish, Hungarian, Indian, Sri-Lankan, Lithuanian, Syrian, Romanian, Slovakian, Latvian, Brazilian, Filipino, Cuban and Chinese; but together we are one, and as one - we all care for our common home, and those who make it so special here in St Joseph’s.”
For more information please see: www.stjosphsnewry.com
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Southern Regional College student Clodagh McComiskey recently beat off competition to pick up the Champion of Ireland U22 title in Boxing.
The event was held at the National Stadium in Dublin and Clodagh was presented with a Medal, Belt and Certificate of her win.
Clodagh from Gilford and is doing the Foundation Degree in Sport Exercise and Fitness at SRC Newry Campus. Clodagh will go on to represent SRC in March at the All-Ireland College’s Competition in Dublin.
If you would like any further information on this course or others available why not attend SRC’s upcoming open days at the start of March.
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The Southern Regional College have held their Inter-Campus Skillbuild Competition at the Greenbank Campus in Newry. There were 30 separate competitions held showcasing the skills of SRC students.
The competition was the first stage of the renowned Skillbuild Competition, and drew together students from all campuses of SRC. The Skillbuild competition is the largest multi-trade competition in the UK for young students and apprentices. It covers crafts including carpentry, joinery, beauty, bricklaying, hairdressing and plastering. Thirty skills competitions took place on the day with industry experts judging the work and skills of the students.
Thomas Fegan from Newry was the winner in the Brickwork competition and Jordan Hughes from Bessbrook was the winner of the Painting and Decorating competition.
There was also an event for students from our local high schools. Over 100 students from over 20 schools took part in 16 events in crafts such as carpentry, joinery, bricklaying, hairdressing and catering . The competitors came from schools across the Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon and Newry Area Learning Communities. The students attend the College as part of the School Partnership’s Programme where pupils from local schools attend SRC to study a range of vocational and academic programmes.
In the Schools’ competition Newtownhamilton High School pupils won two events; Aaron Whyte Adair took a gold medal in Electrical and Calvin Park won the Plumbing Pipework category.
To find out more about Southern Regional College courses you can visit one of their Open Days taking place in early March.
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