A student and trainer from Belfast Metropolitan College have been hailed the UK’s leading employability ambassadors thanks to a national £2m skills programme.
Developed by business advisory firm Deloitte, the Deloitte Employability Skills programme helps tutors in Further Education colleges teach students the skills, attitudes and behaviours they need to secure and sustain employment.
This year Deloitte invested over £2 million in the programme which annually awards 5,000 students a BTEC Level 2 Award in Employability Skills and the chance to compete for the National Deloitte Employability Student/Trainer of the Year award.
Selected by their local colleges for the impact the programme has had on the individuals, 12 student finalists and eight trainers from across the UK were invited to the Deloitte offices in London to demonstrate their employability skills and were put through an extensive process of group activities over the course of a day.
Belfast student Abigail Lennox and her tutor Edwards Adams were chosen as the National Deloitte Employability Student and Trainer of the Year for their overall contribution to the day and by the feedback given by all participants.
Abigail said: “I feel so honoured and proud that I achieved this award. The employability programme has just been such a pleasure to be involved in and I’ve loved every minute of it. I will definitely remember this experience forever. It has made me confident for my future career.”
Edward Adams, lecturer at Belfast Metropolitan College and winner of the Trainer of the Year accolade said: “The competition was a perfect showcase of the diverse range of skills obtained through being involved in the course.
“It has solidified for me the importance of this innovative programme in developing the whole person in readiness for employment. I believe this initiative can genuinely transform the lives of those who take part and am encouraged that BMC is such a strong supporter of the scheme.”
The Deloitte Employability Skills programme in 2009/10 helped 89% of students who completed it access full-time employment or full-time education at a higher level than previously, six months after course completion.
To date over 600 college tutors from over 150 further education colleges have been trained and over 20,000 students have completed this highly successful programme.
The key objectives of the employability skills course are: to build the self-esteem and self-awareness of learners; to enable learners to experience the reality of life in the work place; to develop the attitudes and behaviours required in the workplace; and to develop learners’ interpersonal skills, written, verbal communication skills and team working skills.