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• ANIC Activities
Commenting on the current industrial action by FE college lecturers, John D'Arcy, Chief Executive of the Association of Northern Ireland Colleges said: “College employers remain committed to the improvement of pay for FE lecturers and they continue to impress upon government the need for an immediate resolution to address the current industrial action. Since the last day of industrial action, college employers have worked tirelessly on behalf of lecturers to resolve this issue. Extensive information to support the case for pay parity with school teachers has been collated and submitted to government. Senior college representatives met recently with Maria Eagle MP, Minister for Employment and Learning, to impress directly upon government the urgent need to address ongoing pay parity issues. “During the period of industrial action, colleges have been putting in place a series of measures to ensure the smooth running of services and as on previous days of strike action, colleges will be remaining open. College employers regret the effect that the industrial action is having on student services, staff morale and general college provision and look forward to a speedy resolution.” 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 latest edition of the Moving Forward Newsletter is now available online.
DEL recently launched the “Success Through Excellence – A Quality Improvement Strategy for the Further Education and Training System in Northern Ireland." East Down Community Radio Station Gains Funding from Ofcom The East Down Institute has been awarded £9250 from the OFCOM community fund to support a one year full-time post for the Institute's community radio station Down FM 105.0 Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services. Lisburn Institute Commences Recruitment Drive in China Lisburn Institute will be attending the Shanghai-Guangzhou Exhibition in China on 3rd and 4th February in an effort to attract more international students. The focus will be on both Further and Higher Education courses as well as a new English language provision. The college has developed relationships with a number of people from and in the area to help recruit students and have lined up interviews with over 60 prospective learners. Participation in this event has followed much effort in developing the right links with organisations such as the British Council as well as local representatives in China.
The Hair & Beauty Academy at Limavady College was approached by the renowned Ballywillan Drama Group, Portrush, to provide students to prepare the cast for their current sell out show, Jekyll & Hyde at the Riverside Theatre, Coleraine. 'Fiddler's Walk' Wins Gold Award for Newry Newry Institute Media Lecturer George Kingsnorth 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. 'Fiddler's Walk' is about an American architect who inherits an Irish Pub but when she tries to renovate the locals put up resistance. The pub used in the film is O'Hanlon's Bar in Mullaghbawn. Several Newry Institute current and past students were involved in the projects along with many members of the Newpoint The project took two years to complete and students in Media have been able to use scenes from the film as part of their editing unit. The film was screened recently at the Ti Chulainn Centre in Mullaghbawn. DVDs of the film will be on sale for just £11.50 (Amazon price is £12.99 plus postage).
Jim Crooks, Director of UBI has been appointed to the Board of UfI in the UK . There are 12 board members for UfI, headed by the Chair, and they are chosen for their expertise and experience in various backgrounds, including business and industry, the arts, the public sector and further education.
In mid December, learners from Upper Bann Institute's BTEC National Diploma in Care and HND in Care, held a complementary therapies day on the Banbridge Campus. The event was aimed at staff and students within the Institute as well as the general public who were invited to come along. Many local schools were also invited to visit and sample some of the complementary therapies on offer. Some of the more popular therapies highlighted on the day included massage, aromatherapy, reflexology and yoga, as well as providing information on many other complementary therapies that people can avail of. The event was a huge success for the students who put hours of work into the preparation. Six students from the HND in Care also displayed project work from their HND and were on hand to talk to any visitors who were interested in undertaking training in Care. The students also managed to raise money for a local charity through a raffle . Upper Bann Institute has been celebrating their annual Graduation Ceremonies throughout January with events in the Institutes three campuses of Banbridge, Lurgan and Portadown. The three ceremonies represented the final graduations within Upper Bann Institute before the forthcoming merger of Upper Bann Institute with Newry & Kilkeel Institute and Armagh College scheduled for August this year. Over five hundred successful further and higher education students received certificates, awards and trophies to mark their outstanding academic achievements in the study areas of Art and Design, Business and Secretarial, Caring, Catering, Construction, Engineering, General Studies, Hairdressing, Beauty, Leisure, Tourism, Sports Studies, Media and Journalism. A significant number of special awards were also presented which were provided by parents of past students and representatives from Industry and Public Services including Tayto NI Limited, Bowmans Windows, Craigavon and Banbridge Health and Social Trust, Craigavon Arts Board, Craigavon Photographic Services and the Institute of Leadership and Management.
Armagh College will be hosting ‘The Right to Drive – Right to Life' Awards ceremony in the Student Village complex on Wednesday 7 th February. This award ceremony marks the graduation of students who have successfully completed the NIOCN drivers training programme at Level 1, credit value 6. The Right to Drive Campaign is part of the college's enrichment programme and has an important role to play in the educative process, encouraging young drivers to adopt a more responsible attitude towards road safety. The awards ceremony will include representatives from UBI, Newry Institute, PSNI, DOE and NIOCN.
Professor Wynne Jones, Principal of the prestigious Harper Adams University College recently spoke to students from Armagh College and careers advisers from the local area at a luncheon hosted by Armagh College . Harper Adams has promoted the very highest standards of education to the land-based industries for over 100 years.
Students from the Catering and Hospitality department at Armagh College recently hosted a coffee morning in Platters Restaurant. Guests sampled gourmet savoury and sweet delights with all proceeds being donated to Newry Hospice.
One of Ireland 's leading motivational and inspirational speakers, Kevin Kelly, will contribute to the college's staff development programme when he visits on February 12 th February. Described as the "coach behind the tiger," Kevin Kelly is Ireland 's leading authority on motivation, entrepreneurship, communication, leadership and personal excellence. When Ireland 's National Development agencies were looking at nurturing the entrepreneurs of tomorrow - the new Irish tigers - they engaged Kevin to inspire them to take the next step. Over the past fifteen years, his unique training style has captivated and inspired audiences worldwide. Whether it is a one hour keynote speech or a one day seminar, Kevin has the ability to engage people one hundred per cent in his interactive experiences. Kevin weaves his magic with a cocktail of exercises, fun and stories that are based on his unique experiences around the world, inside and outside corporate corridors. Born in the West of Ireland, he is the author of the Best Selling “How? When You Don't Know How”, “Life: A Trip Towards Trust” and most recently three motivational CDs. Kevin has also developed a personal development slot which will feature on RTE1 on the Seoige and O Shea programme this February 2007.
The Belfast Institute has again organised an extensive and exciting staff development programme during student mid term on the 12 th and 13 th February. While this programme was initially introduced to support contractual obligations for permanent academic staff, it has been extended to include part time staff and support staff. Over the two days there will be 70 events with approximately 700 staff attending. It will also be open to participation from staff who represent the new Belfast area college. A unique feature will be on online enrolment tool for staff. The programme has topics such as – Personal Motivation, HE Assessment, a variety of IT inputs eg digital camera use , Moviemaker, using sound and images, Using e-text Books, Creative Problem Solving, Mind Mapping, Emotional Intelligence, Managing Reluctant Learners, Making Learning Lifelong , De Bono and the Curriculum, Managing Stress, Mentoring, Working with SMEs, Language and Diversity, and Risk Assessment for Inclusion . In addition, some of the sessions open to all staff (including support staff) include Car Maintenance, Home Security/Personal Safety and Advice on Caring for People with Dementia.
Alan McIntyre, a printing student at Castlereagh College , was recognised at the Irish Print Awards recently held in Dublin . The Print Graduate of the Year Awards recognise excellence among the graduates of print colleges across Ireland . Alan was presented with the Print Graduate of the Year Award and received a bursary of €500 which was sponsored by Flint Group Ireland. Michael Kervick, the managing director of Flint Group Ireland, presented Alan with the Award.
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.
The Management and Leadership Network's (MLN), half day conference (including breakfast and lunch) entitled ‘For Leaders Who Aim Higher', is being held on Wednesday 28 th February 2007 at the Hastings Culloden Estate and Spa.
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. 1st February - Limavady - Radio production training for local Storyfinders group If you have any queries about these visits please contact the Bus team on 028 9033 8844.
The Management and Leadership Network's (MLN) Management Month, in February 2007, is aimed at current managers or anyone aspiring to become a manager. Be part of MLN Management Month and ‘Release your Potential' by attending the various events or even run an event as a Management Month Partner.
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 14 th March. Contact the Project Officer (NTFS Individual) on E: ntfsindividual@heacademy.ac.uk Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland are set to benefit from a new €300m PEACE programme made up of €225 million in additional funding from the EU along with national contributions of €75 million. The Special EU Programmes Body, which is responsible for the management of the new programme, has published the proposed PEACE III Operational Programme for public consultation. The document contains the rationale for the new programme, its priorities and areas of intervention along with the proposed implementation provisions.
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