 |
|
• ANIC Activities
In order to facilitate access to information on the current review of the further education sector, ANIC has developed a dedicated website which will provide updates on the FE Means Business Programme, with access to relevant documentation. EFQM Business Excellence Award for Belfast Institute Belfast Institute has recently undergone a week of assessment by a trained team of managers from government departments and business organisations to establish a baseline in relation to its performance. The assessment included a review of results, processes, planning and the impact of the Institute on communities. It involved not only a review of a submission and policy documentation but also a series internal and external focus groups and interviews. While the purpose was to benchmark areas of good practice and identify areas for improvement, the assessors have awarded the Belfast Institute the Mark of Excellence. This award is usually achieved through progression via a series of steps and so its achievement reflects well on Belfast 's successful efforts to implement good practice. Particular congratulations go to Donna O'Connor and Harry McCarry who managed the process which has produced such a positive outcome.
Belfast Institute will host the European Federation for Open and Distance Learning's (EFODL) International Conference on 23rd/24th May 2007: ‘Demonstrating Transformation: Practice, Process and Product'.
Castlereagh College held their Annual Awards ceremony in La Mon Hotel & Country Club on Tuesday 12 December. Students were\ recognised for their exceptional and excellent efforts in their field of learning. The guest speaker on the evening was Pete Boyle, Business Entrepreneur of the Argento retail chain. He congratulated all of the winning students and presented them with their award in recognition of their achievement. The main sponsor of the event was Castlereagh Enterprises Ltd. Almost 200 guests attended which included a variety of corporate sponsors, the college's teaching and support staff, managers and governors.
The Careers and Guidance Service at East Antrim Institute has been awarded the “Matrix Standard”, which is the national quality standard for information, advice and guidance on learning and work. The Matrix standard identifies the essential features of successful delivery of information and provides key indicators by which organisations can measure their current activities. The assessor, Maeve McKeag, was extremely complimentary with regard to the quality, enthusiasm and commitment of the East Antrim Institute staff, the quality of information advice and guidance which is available to students and the strength of partnerships the department has with internal and external structures. The East Down Institute is exhibiting the work of students past and present in a series of exhibitions throughout Downpatrick. A range of creative disciplines is on display throughout the three venues at The Down Arts Centre, The St.Patrick Centre and the Downpatrick Library. The exhibition will continue until the end of January 2007. East Down Institute Ladies Triumph in Inter-College Competition East Down Institute's Ladies Gaelic Football team have been crowned NI Inter Colleges Gaelic 7-a-side Champions . With an exceptional performance by vice-captain and County Down Ladies Senior player Frances O Connor, East Down Institute were unstoppable. In what only can be described as horrendous weather conditions, the East Down girls produced some fantastic performances to qualify for the final.
Friday December 8 th marked the annual Carers Rights Day in the UK . To highlight the event, Dungannon Council held a day in the Council Buildings in order to raise awareness of the needs of carers, increase take up of benefits and to make sure carers know their rights. Many exhibitors from various organisations were present to talk to the various carers in attendance. Noeleen Byrne Project Officer at the College for the Beyond Caring project, acted as a representative at the event to discuss the overall aim of the programme to test ways whereby people with disabilities and caring responsibilities in counties Fermanagh and Tyrone can access training and sustainable employment.
On Wednesday 13 th December 2006, East Tyrone College held an Industry Fair in the Central Hall of its Dungannon Campus. The main aim of the event was to raise awareness and to highlight to students who do not wish to progress on to higher education the various employment opportunities available to them. The event which ran from 10.00am to 3.00pm was attended by a number of businesses and organizations from various industries who were present to discuss potential employment opportunities in their company to the four hundred students in attendance. Overall, the day was a success indicated by positive feedback from both the students who felt the day provided them with a good insight in to the various career options available to them and the exhibitors who also agreed that the day gave them an opportunity to raise awareness of their company while also developing links with the college.
NVQ Level 3 full-time 1 st year Beauty Therapy students participated in a charity day with the elderly at Killeshil community centre on Tuesday 21 st November 2006. The aim behind the day was to get the young and old generations to mix. The students carried out a range of treatments from mini-manicures, file and paint to hand and arm massages to around 100 elderly people. In return the charity donated £100 to the Beauty department to be given to a charity of the students' choice. The students decided to buy presents for teenage boys and girls for Christmas for ‘The Family Appeal Charity'. An excellent range of gifts from hair strengtheners, hairdryers, CD's and DVD's were purchased. The Level 3 students presented the gifts to the Saint Vincent De Paul, a collection centre for ‘The Family Appeal' on Tuesday 12 th December 2006. The students found this a very worthy cause. Limavady College will be holding its annual graduation ceremony on Wednesday 20 December. Over 120 students will graduate at the ceremony, presided over by Dr Alan Sharp, Provost at the University of Ulster , Coleraine. Graduates have returned from across the UK & Ireland to receive their awards in disciplines including Business & Finance, Counselling, Creative Arts, Foundation Studies for Mature Students, Fine & Applied Arts, Traditional Crafts and Computing with E-Media.
NDAI won an AOC (Association of Colleges) Beacon Award at the national AOC Annual Conference in Birmingham in recognition of the college's partnership with the private sector. NDAI scooped the Department for Employment and Learning award for College Engagement with Employers in recognition of its outstanding work and contribution to the Further Education Sector.
Darren Meredith from Bangor , an HND Software Engineering student at North Down and Ards Institute is currently spending a year at Martin Methodist College , Tennessee as part of the Business Education Initiative which offers one year study placements in the USA for undergraduate students in Northern Ireland. Top Awards for Newry Student
Newry Institute has recently opened two state of the art Sports Facilities. The new Fitness suite boasts a variety of cardiovascular and resistance machines and has proven to be a tremendous asset to both sports students and staff alike. It has been of great benefit to local sports clubs for pre-season training and it is hoped that this aspect of community provision will continue to expand over the next few years. The Fitness Suite is expected to be open to all staff and students on a commercial basis in 2007. The provision of a Fitness Testing Laboratory has ensured that the college takes the lead in Sports Science across the Further Education sector. This facility will further enhance the excellent teaching resources for sport already available at Newry Institute and will play an integral part in providing appropriate methods of fitness assessments for various sporting organisations in the area. For further information contact the Fitness Suite on 028 30261071 Ex 2737.
George Kingsnorth a Media Lecturer at Newry Institute was presented with a Gold Award for the Best Christian Film for 'Fiddler's Walk'. This award was presented by Baroness Caroline Cox as part of the Christian Broadcasting Council's Media Awards 2006. In other categories Gold Awards were also won by BBC South Radio, BBC Drama, Channel Four, GodTV and One Mediator. A group of students from North West Institute have been presented with certificates of completion after successfully completing a 12-week personal development programme at the Institute. The programme, which was offered in association with the Princes Trust, focused on a number of main elements including team building and challenges, project planning, community projects, and career building.
A Craigavon woman's outstanding contribution to adult education has been recognised at the National Adult Literacy Agency awards ceremony in Dublin through the presentation of an ACE Award (Adults Continuing Education). RTE Radio Presenter Joe Duffy hosted the awards which highlight people who are so often the unsung hero's of adult basic education through their quiet effort and personal determination. He presented an award to local lady Li Fan – who won the award for her use of imaginative and innovative teaching methods through her work on Upper Bann Institute's Men on the Margins project.
David Smith, Community Relations Officer, PSNI Lurgan was recently invited to Upper Bann Institute's Lurgan campus to present 'Dealing with Difference'; discussions and presentations which focus on addressing the multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-racial society in which we now live. David facilitated conversation on the topics of diversity, sectarianism and the dangers of stereotyping in a challenging, yet sensitive and humorous way.
UBI IT Department's Virtual Christmas Card is up and running again for Christmas 2006! The idea of the project is that instead of sending cards to colleagues in UBI, staff can add a message to the "Virtual Card" and donate the money that they would have spent on cards for colleagues to the Virtual Christmas card fund. As well as sending Seasons Greetings to colleagues, staff also can nominate a charity. After Christmas, all nominated charities will be put in a hat and a number of charities drawn. The money collected in the Virtual Christmas Card fund will then be divided equally between these charities. Last year Arthritis Care and Macmillan Cancer both got £135 each. The Institute hopes that they can raise even more this year! Following a recent assessors site visit, Armagh College has been recommended for the Investors In People Award. Investors in People is the National Standard that sets a level of good practice for improving an organization's performance through its people. IIP establishes a business improvement tool that helps organizations to compete and succeed through improved people performance. The standard measures results and not procedures and is a practical tool for the continuous improvement of both the organization and its people. It is assessed through 10 indicators and 39 evidence requirements which are tested on-site.
Following the recent signing of the partnership agreement in November between Cumbernauld College and Armagh College , four senior colleagues from Cumbernauld visited Armagh on a two day Best Practice visit. The agreement specified ‘The partnership agreement will provide learners with the opportunity of exchanges both nationally and internationally in order to enrich their experience while at both colleges' and so the exchange is the start of many best practice exchanges. Michael McDonald, Head of Sport at Armagh and Diana Farrelly, Community Relations Manager will travel to Scotland this week to meet with Scottish colleagues to discuss joint ventures in sports, social care, cultural diversity and community development. Events Diary Network Publishing and the Tribal Group is holding another seminar as part of a UK wide series which will explore key issues in the 14-19 sector, such as improving delivery, attendance and achievement. The seminars will promote the sharing of good practice and offer the chance to engage with experts, authors and colleagues within the sector. They will also address other national issues such as obesity, fitness, sexual health, drugs and alcohol awareness. The morning session ‘Addressing Key Skills Needs' begins at 10.30am and concludes at 12.30pm. Lunch is provided. The afternoon session – ‘Developing Outstanding Tutorial Provision' runs from 1.00pm and finishes at 3.30pm. The seminars are aimed at those responsible for key skills, tutorial and enrichment delivery, including heads of key skills, curriculum managers and heads of student support. For further information please contact Aideen Tighe at aideen.tighe@tribalgroup.co.uk The deadline for booking a place is Tuesday 19 December. To book, email: enquiries.np@tribalgroup.co.uk Calling All Undiscovered Quiz Talent BBC1 is making the biggest quiz show ever with a guaranteed six-figure prize sum. The People's Quiz 2007 is a brand new Saturday night show and BBC is looking for people aged 16 and over and abilities to take part. Open auditions will be held across the UK from the beginning of January in locations including Belfast . To find out more and guarantee your place at auditions, email contestants@uhfevermedia.co.uk or call 0845 3453484 for an application form.
A multi-million pound programme is being launched today by the Big Lottery Fund to help people across Northern Ireland live and learn better. The largest of the National Lottery Good Cause Distributors is making £18 million available under the Live and Learn programme to help people of all ages across Northern Ireland boost their learning opportunities and improve their health.
Merry Christmas from the Association of Northern Ireland Colleges. If you have anything you would like included in the FE Zine,
|
