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Issue 79 • ANIC Activities
A full list of college Open Days for 2007 is now available. Click here to download. ANIC to Host National Training Award Workshop ANIC is hosting a workshop on how to apply for a National Training Award. The workshop will be held in ANIC on Tuesday 6 March 07 from 9.30am until 1pm and a facilitator will be on hand to talk about the application process and how best to approach it. There is no fee to attend and places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Lunch will be provided. Contact kevin.fearon@anic.ac.uk if you would like to attend.
The names of the six new colleges have been agreed. They are as follows: Belfast Metropolitan College incorporating the current Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education and Castlereagh College of Further and Higher Education. North West Regional College incorporating the current North West Institute of Further and Higher Education and Limavady College of Further and Higher Education. Northern Regional College incorporating the current Causeway Institute of Further and Higher Education; East Antrim Institute of Further and Higher Education and the North East Institute of Further and Higher Education. South Eastern Regional College incorporating the current East Down Institute of Further and Higher Education; Lisburn Institute of Further and Higher Education and North Down & Ards Institute of Further and Higher Education. South West College incorporating the current East Tyrone College of Further and Higher Education; Fermanagh College and Omagh College. Southern Regional College incorporating the current Armagh College of Further and Higher Education; Newry Institute of Further and Higher Education and Upper Bann Institute of Further and Higher Education.
The latest edition of the Moving Forward Newsletter is now available online.
A Health and Social Care lecturer from Newry Institute has won a prestigious Care award. Anna Shortt received one of six Tallow Chandlers prizes for City & Guilds Health and Social Care learners and lecturers at a special lunch in London on Thursday 8 February 2007, where John Oldham, Chairman of Sue Ryder Care, attended as the VIP guest speaker. Newry Institute Graduate wins University of Ulster Dean 's Prize Geraldine Connolly who graduated with a first class honours in Modern Studies in the Humanities recently, has won the University of Ulster 's prestigious Dean's Prize. The award is made for the student with the highest score in the final year of study. Her dissertation topic was a study of the Harlem Renaissance which focussed on the literature and art of the period. Geraldine now hopes to work as a lecturer and is considering completing a Phd.
An innovative business training programme for Women has been officially launched and celebrated at the North West Institute of Further & Higher Education. ‘Women Behind the Business' is designed to help women at work - particularly those in small to medium sized family run enterprises - to improve the competitiveness and capacity of the business. Offered by North West Institute, in conjunction with its partner colleges in Omagh and Fermanagh, the programme has already seen over 200 women benefiting from the training on offer. Student Healthy Living Day at North West Institute North West Institute students recently took part in a range of healthy living events aimed at promoting a safer and healthier lifestyle. Organised by students and staff from the NWI Media section, the main focus of the events was on Bullying and Sexual Health with students from the Performing Arts section on hand to perform awareness sketches on each topic. Other issues which were addressed during the day included health check-ups and healthy eating tips for the students, advice on student finance, and help and information on personal issues. The events also included interactive exhibitions from a range of support organisations, who gave demonstrations of smoothie making and healthy eating, fitness tests, and an opportunity for students to try out salsa dancing, aerobics and yoga.
Director of Upper Bann Institute, Jim Crooks recently presented Ursula Quinn with a cheque for £1,500 on behalf of the Institute as a donation towards the Driving Kills Campaign, founded by Ursula. The Hidden Victims charity and subsequent Driving Kills Campaign was founded by Ursula in January 2006 following the death of her 19 year old daughter Shauna through road death on 21 September 2002, at Ballybrittas in Co Laois. Ursula was able to avail of counselling through her employer, Upper Bann Institute and feels this type of service should be available to the ‘Hidden Victims' of Road Death throughout the UK and Ireland.
Upper Bann Institute recently hosted the PSNI Road Education Roadshow at its Lurgan Campus. The roadshow which is organised by the PSNI and sponsored by AXA Insurance and Cool FM aims to educate young people to start their driving career as they mean to go on by learning to drive with a good attitude and showing responsibility to themselves and other road users. The event was host to over 500 young people in two sessions, with many students in attendance from the various campuses of Upper Bann Institute and from many of the local schools. Also in attendance were a number of local dignitaries including the Mayor of Craigavon, Cllr Twyble.
Upper Bann Institute has seen an increase in Foreign Nationals within its Institute; in fact 728 Foreign Nationals studied at UBI in the past academic year and the figure this year is expected to be even higher. Providing opportunity in education for all is one of UBI's key strategic aims for the year and in working to achieve this it continues to forge strategic links with local migrant workers forums and community groups. In celebration of this cultural diversity at the Institute, UBI has developed ‘Ethnic Fusion' week which will run across all its campuses from 19 – 23 February 2007. Ethnic Fusion is a week long celebration of the large cultural mix at the Institute. It's aimed at current and past students, including Foreign Nationals and local people. UBI has organised a range of events to run over Ethnic Fusion week. For further information contact Michelle Millar at Upper Bann Institute on 028 3839 7807.
Armagh College has been nominated as an ambassador for education and training by the Armagh Chamber of Commerce. The College has worked with the Chamber on several projects including market research into the needs of the local business community. This role will further enhance the relationship between the college and local industry in meeting their needs.
The Southern Regional College Full-Time Prospectus for 2007/08 is now available from the Armagh, Newry and Upper Bann campuses. Belfast Institute Awarded Centre of Excellence Status for Journalism Belfast Institute's Journalist Training programme has been awarded Centre of Excellence Status by the Newspaper Qualifications Council and the Newspaper Society, two of the media industries most influential bodies. The National Vocational Qualification Level 4 in Newspaper Journalism programme, based in the Institute's Centre for Media and Communication, is the first training course in Ireland to be awarded this prestigious accolade. Conferring the Centre of Excellence Status, Mr Paul Larkin of the Newspaper Qualifications Council, said: "This award is given in recognition of the fact that the Institute is providing journalism training via the Level 4 NVQ route to students at a high professional standard. The Institute has done this in accordance with the National Occupational Standards in Multi Media and Print Journalism. It is working with employers to provide work experience facilities, a working relationship, and takes into account the needs of the industry through the employers as well as working with schools to help promote journalism to the standards, skills and knowledge required." The Regional Centre of Excellence achievement comes as the Institute received high praise from the awarding body because of the quality of the journalist trainees' portfolios. Mr Martin Throssell, the External Verifier from Education Development International, said of the Belfast NVQ portfolios: "The clarity and consistency of the excellent portfolios submitted could be a model for all centres to follow." Last year was one of the most successful since journalist training was first launched in 1969 with 31 out of 39 candidates receiving their NVQ4 full awards and 8 achieving part awards. In 2006 also, full award graduate Robert Gibson won a national award - the UK Press Gazette Student Feature Writer of the Year.
Students in the Department of Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism at the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education got a ‘flavour' for the world of work recently at the college's Employers' Fair. Organised by staff in the Department of Workforce and Economic Development, the Employers' Fair was an outstanding success with over twelve companies from the Hospitality Industry arriving at the Brunswick Street building to speak to students in their first year of the Foundation Degree in Hospitality and Tourism. Students attended seminars learning about self presentation and employment skills in preparation for their six month placement which is a compulsory element of their course. They also heard from the Guest Speaker, Mr Bill Wolsey, Owner of Merchant Hotel, Belfast . The theme of his address was the growth in the five-star hotel market in Belfast and the opportunities which now exist for young people seeking employment in the Hospitality and Tourism industries. Students also spent time talking to the exhibitors, many of whom have taken students from the Belfast Institute for work experience for example the Hastings Hotel Group which has up to six placements on offer for next year.
Castlereagh College and Belfast Institute will launch their first combined full-time FE and HE prospectus 2007/08 and new brand name, Belfast Metropolitan College, on Monday 19 February in W5 at the Odyssey in Belfast . This event will launch the new regional college for Belfast, as Castlereagh College and Belfast Institute will merge on 1 st August 2007 to form the Belfast Metropolitan College (Belfast Met).
The ANIC Conference 2007 will take place this year from 18-19 June at the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, Co Down. Details to follow. LSDA NI Annual Conference This year's LSDA Annual Conference will take place on Tuesday 24 April 2007 from 9.00 am – 4.15 pm at the Galgorm Manor, Ballymena. The conference is entitled Delivering Public Value and will facilitate discussion framework to help organisations deliver a performance that accommodates client satisfaction and social outcomes. Tel: 02890 447700.
A contact seminar is one of the most helpful ways of finding partners if you are interested in becoming involved in a Grundtvig project. For those wishing to attend seminars it is worth noting that the Education Service of Leargas provides funding to cover travel, accommodation and subsistence costs. The next seminar entitled ‘Intercultural Challenges in Adult Education', will take place in Romania from 21 st -25 th February 2007. Contact E: kcarey@leargas.ie
The Big Yellow Bus will be at the following locations during February 2007. The Bus will be open from 11am to 3pm unless otherwise stated.
If you have any queries about these visits please contact the Bus team on 028 9033 8844.
The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) Individual Awards aim to raise the profile of learning and teaching, to recognise and celebrate individuals who make an outstanding impact on the student learning experience and to provide a national focus for institutional teaching and learning excellence schemes. The Scheme is open to all those involved in supporting the student learning experience in higher education in England and N Ireland. 50 individual Fellowships of £10,000 will be awarded at a gala dinner in September. Nominations must be submitted electronically by noon on Wednesday 14th March. Contact the Project Officer (NTFS Individual) on E: ntfsindividual@heacademy.ac.uk
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