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• ANIC Activities FE Means Business Website 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. ‘True Colours' a Stroke of Inspiration at Omagh College An inspirational display by some of Northern Ireland's brightest young artists and designers was unveiled at the ‘true colours' exhibition in Omagh College Monday 20 th November 2006. The exhibition will run until 1 st December and is open to all schools and the general public Monday – Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm.Organised by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) and sponsored by First Trust Bank, ‘true colours' showcases the best and most intriguing work from CCEA's summer 2005 GCSE and GCE and AS Level Art and Design examinations. For further information www.omagh.ac.uk
The Origin Farmers' Market at Omagh College was officially launched on Saturday 18 th November 2006 to the delight of a huge crowd of eager Christmas shoppers. Customers were able to choose from a wide variety of locally produced vegetables, meat products, cakes, tray bakes, savoury foods, cider and apple-juice. Indeed with Christmas looming, many people were able to pick up some Christmas presents with a difference from the delightful range of crafts, knitwear, woodwork, ceramics and cards, also locally produced. The Origin Farmers' Market in Omagh is part of a EU Leader+ Cross-border Farmers Market. It takes place on the 1 st and 3 rd Saturday of every month from 9.00am to 2.00pm and the evidence of its success is shown by the regular customers who frequent the market. Meanwhile, Omagh College , in association with the BBC, held a day and night of fun activities for Children in Need last Friday raising a fantastic £4,050.
Omagh College continues its innovative European development work with a new link being established with Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and Malta Enterprise. MCAST is an umbrella college for six institutes with some 4000 full time students providing level 1 – level 4 education and training on the Island with a population of some 420,000 people. The vocational curriculum is mainly supplied by UK Awarding Bodies. On a recent visit to the Island, Omagh College 's Aisling McCallan and Stephen Moss established head of agreement for work under the Socrates Programme, and in association with Malta Enterprise and MCAST discussed other opportunities for the 7 th Framework Programme, with a particular focus on supporting R & D activities to SMEs. Maltese staff from the host organisations hope to be visiting Northern Ireland in January 2007.
Upper Bann Institute Director, Mr Jim Crooks, recently received a letter of congratulations from the Electrical Training Trust applauding the Institute on the recent NVQ Level 3 results. The Board examined in detail all of the results achieved by the Directed Learning Providers across the province and acknowledged that the 100% outcome for the 2002 Intake that had been attained by UBI was considered to be a very significant and welcome contribution to the advancement of this sector's skills requirements. The contribution and cooperation from the individual lecturing staff at the College was also acknowledged by the Board and the dedication and commitment of the Management and Staff concerned with the delivery of this programme was commended. UBI's Jill Brings Home Silver UBI student Jill Connery has just returned from participating in the European Youth Special Olympics in Rome . As well as having the honour of being chosen to compete at the games, Jill managed to win three Silver Olympic Medals for her achievements in Bocce.
Craigavon Mayor, Kenneth Twyble, held a Mayoral Reception recently to honour the remarkable achievement of four local schools. Between them the schools hold six sporting trophies. Armagh College were among the schools honoured having won the U18 Girls Volleyball League, and the most prestigious and sought after All- Ireland title, the annual play-off between the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland league champions. The teams were accompanied by their coaches, with Aztecs Volleyball Club also being represented at the reception.
Armagh College sport students now have the luxury of a state of the art gym in the college premises. Previously, students had to travel to the local gyms in order to obtain their personal training and gym based fitness instructing experience. The college gym which has treadmills, stepping machines, bikes, rowing machines, and a full range of free and stationery weights will greatly enhance the learning experience of the sporting student.
The Academy for Leadership and Development invites you to attend the Global Leadership Academy at Belfast Institute and the Koning Willem I College. Post-secondary institutions region-wide are being invited to participate. Enrollment is limited to 54 participants per leadership training program. Limited enrolment allows for a variety of active and collaborative learner centered activities to be incorporated. Based on the concept of training-over-time, this program allows participants to thoroughly understand, internalize, and apply leadership concepts and skills. The overall focus of the program will be to establish a high quality, cost-effective succession and leadership development program which utilizes a skills-based approach, grounded in sound theoretical leadership concepts, principles, and practices. The registration fee for this year-long leadership training program is $1700 for both weeks of training. Week 1: J une 17-22, 2007 to be held at Belfast Institute Week 2: June 15-20, 2008 to be held at Koning Willem I College For more information contact the Academy for Leadership and Development by emailing chair.academy@mcmail.maricopa.edu or visit the Global Leadership Academy web page.
Castlereagh College is teaming up with Cinemagic to host their talent labs for their forthcoming 2006 Film Festival on Thursday 30 November and Friday 1 December. Masterclasses will be held in all areas of film making from directing, scriptwriting and acting to production and cinematography. Speakers include Dermot O'Leary who will lead a group of fifteen participants through the ins and outs of television presenting. Sally Lindsay, who played ‘Shelley' in ‘ Coronation Street ', will lead a two day acting masterclass. A short film will be produced by those attending the masterclasses which will be produced and screened on the closing night of the festival on Sunday 3 December at the Waterfront Hall.
East Down Institute has recently had its 100 th student successfully complete the BPEC Biomass Installer qualification, which has been developed as part of the Renewable Energy Installer Academy with Interreg funding. The achievement of this qualification means that the installer can now be placed on Action Renewable's list of approved installers. Clients must use an approved installer if they are to be able to obtain a grant for installing a biomass boiler.
Monday 20 th – Friday 24 th November 2006 marked the beginning of Anti-Bullying Week in East Tyrone College . This is the second year of a dedicated Anti-Bullying Week in Northern Ireland, with this year's focus being on the role of the bystander. The reluctance of students to tell adults can be a major hurdle for a school community to address, and NIABF have issued an information pack to the college to assist them in raising awareness of the issue. East Tyrone Students Aid Children In Need First and second year Travel & Tourism students at East Tyrone College, raised a grand total of £2416 for the BBC Children In Need Appeal, during their recent 'Sponsored Fancy Dress Trolley Push'. Fermanagh College Football Gets off to a Flyer Fermanagh College Ladies Gaelic football team have had a flying start to their Higher Education League campaign. In recent few weeks they have had successive wins over; University of Ulster, Magee, and Queen's University 2's.Meanwhile the Fermanagh College boys soccer team, having been promoted this year to division 1 of the All-Ireland Colleges League, now have the potential to qualify for the quarter finals of the league cup after impressive recent victories over the likes of Dublin Business school and Dundalk IT.
The Care Homes II Project held a Peace & Reconciliation Seminar at the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen on Monday 27th November. This Care Homes II Project provides training to meet the employment and personal needs of people who would like to work in the Care Sector as well as staff employed in Private Nursing & Residential Homes in counties Fermanagh, Tyrone, Leitrim, Sligo , Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan. The seminar concluded with an awards ceremony, 142 people received certificates for courses undertaken through the Project. The project is funded through the Cross Border Consortium under the EU Peace II Extension Programme, measure 5.4 and is a partnership between Fermanagh College and the Carers association in Sligo.
The Beyond Caring project is an Equal initiative that test ways of overcoming barriers to training and employment for those with a disability or caring responsibility. This project is steered domestically by the colleges of East Tyrone, Fermanagh and Omagh, amongst others and operates at a transnational level with partners in Hungary , Italy and Slovakia who deliver similar programmes. The 3rd consortium meeting was held in Slovakia from 4-8 th November 2006 and was attended by Noeleen Byrne (East Tyrone College), Fiona Ruddy & Michelle Baker (Fermanagh College).At this event the partners shared results and experiences gained and had an opportunity to meet some of the beneficiaries who were involved in an exchange between Hungary and Slovakia. The visits provided a good insight into other countries culture, support mechanisms and an appreciation of their chosen programme. It is also an excellent way to share good practice and in the long-term it may help to alleviate barriers within Europe . Limavady College Plants a Field of Hope Limavady College 's Centre for Technology is to be brightened up by a special fundraising initiative. Dr Anne Heaslett, College Director, was joined by students at the centre, Sharon Gibbons from Marie Curie Cancer Care and Lucille Brolly, the Chair of the charity's local support group in braving the wet weather this week to plant the first daffodil bulb in a new Marie Curie ‘Field of Hope'. An area of ground at the front of the College's specialist facility is being dedicated to the daffodils, representing hope for those affected by cancer.
On Monday 20th November 2006, a ceremony was held in the stately setting of Callan House, Milford to acknowledge the achievements of Home Care NI students who recently completed their NVQ Level 2 Health & Social Care. Mairead Mackle, Home Care NI Director, presented the certificates while Noeleen Smith, Head of School at Newry Institute, presented the 'NVQ qualified' badges. This qualification means staff in possession of an NVQ in Health & Social Care will be qualified to register as approved Health and Social Care Workers in Northern Ireland . This is a very important step on the road to the professionalisation of Health and Social Care sector and is the 'first rung' on the ladder of career opportunities within caring. Stredia, a stress and performance management consultancy, recently visited the Chartered Institute of Personnel Practice students at North Down and Ards Institute. The company was established in June 2004, the concept stemming from research carried out in association with the Department of Informatics at the University of Ulster. Blue Peter Presenter Zoe SalmonVisits NDAI Local Bangor girl and Blue Peter presenter, Zoe Salmon visited North Down and Ards Institute recently. Zoe was filming a piece for Blue Peter with her mum Priscilla Salmon who is a part-time hairdressing technician at North Down and Ards Institute. Zoe is currently taking part in an Ice Skating challenge for Blue Peter and her mum was providing memories of Zoe as a child learning to ice skate. Whilst at the College, Zoe met some of the hairdressing students, before leaving to perform in the BBC's Children In Need special on Friday evening.
Art and Design Students from the North East Institute have participated in an exciting Live Project commissioned by the Lighthouse Foundation homeless hostel in Ballymena. This assignment asked students to develop and produce a series of art work using a wide range of painting techniques. The paintings were produced specifically for the Lighthouse Foundation, and manager of the hostel Alyn Shaw came to the Institute to view all work and choose a number of suitable pieces. These would then be displayed in the hostel and also given to some of the clientele who have since moved on. The students involved in this assignment are currently studying the BTEC National Diploma in Art and Design and are presently in their first year.
Three local community organisations have benefited as a result of North West Institute's highly successful 2006 Student OK Day. Representatives from the Simon Community, Lavery Fold, and Strand Foyer, met with NWIFHE students this week to receive gifts which have been donated to them following the fundraising efforts of the students during their OK Day earlier in the year. Graduation Day at North West Institute Over 400 students have achieved certificate and diplomas at the 2006 Annual Graduations of the North West Institute of Further & Higher Education. The ceremony, which was held in the Millennium Forum, acknowledged the academic achievements of the students over the previous year. Awards were presented to students in a number of areas including subjects at Foundation Degree and HND level. Events Diary In January 2007 Bulgaria and Romania will join the expanding EU market. This half day conference will highlight key investment and trade opportunities in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. Delegates will learn from experts in key sectors including: construction; infrastructure & energy; ICT; creative industries; education & training; business services. Delegates can also benefit from one to one advice sessions and networking with experts on investment and trade. The conference will take place on Thursday 7th December 2006 from 9.30am–1pm in the Holiday Inn, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast. To register e-mail rita.mccaughey@noribic.com or telephone 028 71264242.
St. Mary's University College, Belfast will be holding its second national literacy conference on Friday 1st December 2006. This exciting event is entitled 'Creating Writers'. The programme includes a range of speakers including Eve Bearne, Cambridge Univeristy; Carlo Gebler, award-winning author, film maker, producer; Trinka Messinheimer, Bowling Green State University , Ohio , USA ; David Park, renowned author. For details and information contact Donna Murray on d.murray@stmarys-belfast.ac.uk
NIACE will be holding a one day event on adult pre-entry curriculum framework training for literacy and numeracy. Building on the success of the one-day adult pre-entry Curriculum Framework courses delivered so far during 2006 and in response to continued demand, NIACE is pleased to notify that the offer of training is now being extended to Northern Ireland and will take place in Belfast 30 January 2007. The event aims to assist those whose teaching involves supporting learners at pre-entry level with their communication, literacy and numeracy skills in any post-16 context. To reserve a place and to view the programme for the event click here.
The Network Publishing Northern Ireland Conference will take place on 29 November 2006 at the Comfort Hotel, Antrim from 10.00am to 3.30pm. This free event will enable you to find out more about flexible learning as a training solution for Northern Ireland . There will also be a chance to meet with college practitioners who are currently delivering Network Publishing programmes, as well as representatives from CCEA and NCFE. The event will provide information on funding and delivery of flexible learning programmes, along with presentations from ANIC about employers' views and flexible learning from an FE sector perspective. There will also be an opportunity to view a wide range of flexible learning materials and to participate in discussion regarding the current need to up-skill the workforce within Northern Ireland. To book contact Claire Knaggs on 01904 550110 or e-mail claire.knaggs@tribalgroup.co.uk LSDA Conference Report Available LSDA's NI Essential Skills Numeracy/Maths Conference took place on Friday, 17th November 2006. The day was a great success w ith some delegates describing it as as the best staff development day they had attended.
The government recently published the Further Education and Training Bill, designed to give colleges in England and Wales degree-awarding powers.
British Council is looking for applicants to take part in the CEDEFOP Study Visits programme in the first half of 2007. There are 31 visits to choose from focusing on various vocational education and training topics including “Developing entrepreneurship among young people”, “Competence development of older workers” and “Needs of low-skilled and disadvantaged groups”. Study Visits are open to anyone working in the field of vocational training and for further information on CEDEFOP and the application process, contact Andrea Duenschede on Tel: 020 7389 4340.
The Cinemagic Festival 2006 will take place this year from 17th November to 3rd December. To view the programme click here. If you have anything you would like included in the FE Zine,
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