NOMINATIONS are now open for this year’s Vocational Qualifications (VQ) Awards 2014, celebrating the importance of vocational education and training.
There are two award categories — VQ Learner of the Year and VQ Employer of the Year — and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in the Great Hall at Stormont as part of the UK-wide VQ Day celebrations in June.
Launching the awards, Employment Minister Stephen Farry said: “VQ Day provides an opportunity for all those involved in the achievement, development and delivery of vocational qualifications to celebrate the importance of vocational education and training.
“The relevance of vocational qualifications to learners, employers and the growth of the Northern Ireland economy cannot be underestimated.
“I recently launched the ‘Skills to Succeed’ campaign, which supports the overall aims of my department’s Skills Strategy Success through Skills — Transforming Futures.
“It aims to raise the skills level of the whole workforce, to ensure we are equipping people with the skills and qualifications, including vocational qualifications, which they need to achieve their full potential and to support our local businesses and the economy.”
Ten learners will have their outstanding achievements recognised at the Northern Ireland awards ceremony in June, with the winner receiving the Northern Ireland VQ Learner of the Year trophy and an iPad air.
There will be three finalists for the Employer of the Year award, with the winner presented with the Northern Ireland VQ Employer of the Year trophy.
This is the sixth year that VQ Day has been celebrated in Northern Ireland. The closing date for nominations for both awards is May 2, 2014.
Application forms, support materials and further information on VQ Day 2014 are available from www.delni.gov.uk/vqday.
Meanwhile, nine high-quality ICT jobs are to be created at SpeechStorm Ltd. The company was established in February 2010 following a management buy-out by its founding executive team, with the support of local IT company, Kainos, and Belfast-based venture capital fund manager, Crescent Capital.
SpeechStorm now provides industry-leading innovative customer experience management solutions, including speech self-service and mobile applications that reduce call handling times in contact centres and waiting time for customers.
Invest NI is providing £81,000 of support towards the new jobs, which include executive positions and will bring total employment in the company to 24.
Chief executive officer of Speech- Storm, Oliver Lennon, said: “Our strategy for the next three years is to grow revenues significantly and establish SpeechStorm as a leading contact centre applications provider in Europe and in the US, as well as our home markets of the UK and Ireland.
“These new jobs are crucial to us moving quickly to take advantage of further new opportunities we’ve identified.”