PROFESSIONAL cookery tutor from South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Michael Gillies has won the City & Guilds Medal for Excellence Award for his outstanding work in delivering the organisation’s cookery programmes at the college.
The City & Guilds Medals for Excellence have been awarded for over 100 years and aim to acknowledge exceptional talent amongst learners, lecturers and trainers who have gone above and beyond what is expected to achieve their goals.
Every year, all medallists are shortlisted for the Lion Awards — the culmination of the City and Guilds awards programme.
The Lion Awards recognise the best of the best and the People’s Choice Award is voted for purely by the public.
In addition to the modules Michael teaches, he also finds the time to mentor students for competitions with a great track record for success.
Commenting on the accolade Michael, who teaches at the college’s Downpatrick campus, said: “It is a great honour to win this award.
The outstanding facilities at SERC has allowed me to motivate and enthuse students to achieve their goals.
The award is as much a ref lection on the department and the school as it is on me individually.
“I’m really grateful to the students and my colleagues.
I’m delighted to see that they think some of the things that I have been doing are useful to their education and I very much enjoy working with the students on all of the modules that I teach.”
Congratulating Michael on his award SERC Head of School for Hospitality, Tourism and Events, James Currie said: “Excellent tutors have a positive effect on their students’ learning; widening their students’ knowledge, increasing their self-confidence and raising their aspirations.
The entrants for this year’s award are teaching outstanding and innovative lessons which inspire and enthuse their students.
“Many congratulations to Michael. Not enough recognition is given out for hard work these days, but the Medal for Excellence offers this chance.
“It proves to professionals that all their hard work isn’t for nothing.’’