700 families set to benefit from upskilling initiative
An up-skilling programme is to be rolled out to over 700 families in the autumn following the success of its pilot this year. Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry made the announcement as he paid tribute to achievements of families involved in the Community Family Support Programme (CFSP) pilot. The CFSP pilot is a...
Young people to give record label job a spin
A unique course is offering unemployed young people the key skills needed to gain employment in the music industry. Open to all 16-24 year olds not in employment or education, the AccessThruMusic course is offered through the Prepared to Work Project run by Armstrong Learning NI. The ten day course offers participants the opportunity to...
Ryan shows great spirit to win top award
A UNIVERSITY of Ulster student has been named the winner of the inaugural Entrepreneurial Spirit award. The winner, Ryan Nixon, from Ballynahinch, set up a Facebook campaign; Bullying by Social Networking Awareness (BSNA), to help victims of cyber bullying. The award, developed by the University of Ulster Business School in partnership with the Northern Ireland...
Raising Skills
JO Smythe from Department of Learning and Employment has been appointed Skills and Employment Liaison Officer for the North West. The Liaison Officer will work under the auspices of the One Plan Skills Directorate and will play a crucial role in co-ordinating local and regional activity to ensure maximum benefit from the investment made in...
Innovative New Programme Helps Put Toy Retailer On The Map
A MULTI-million pound outdoor toy retailer from Belfast knows servicing your online customers is about more than just child’s play. Kidsplay.com has just completed a new InnovateUs programme led by South Eastern Regional College to help optimise its business by using Geographical Information Systems training and consultancy. South Eastern Regional College (SERC) recently carried out...
Academy Honours Students Enterprising Spirit
STUDENTS from a range of disciplines are set to launch their own businesses thanks to Belfast City Council’s Belfast Enterprise Academy. Now in its fourth year, 21 students participated in the programme designed for degree students living in the city and studying at Queen’s University, the University of Ulster and Belfast Metropolitan College who want...
Professor Honoured
University of Ulster Professor of Education Rosalind Pritchard has been elected as a member of the Royal Irish Academy. The Royal Irish Academy is Ireland’s premier learned society, numbering Nobel Prize Winners, world famous scholars and high ranking politicians amongst its members. She was honoured for her world-class contribution to the field of education theory....
Brainy Project
A New £5.3m brain mapping facility at the University of Ulster’s Magee campus will help rebalance the local economy, according to Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster. “This project is an excellent example of an academic research project that has sound commercial application. Over the next 10 years it is anticipated that it will generate significant revenue...
Firm Upskills
A Derry manufacturing company is upskilling thanks to one-to-one mentoring through the new Employer Support Programme (ESP) led by South Eastern Regional College. Smythson Enterprises Ltd produces a web-based monitoring device and property manager that allows social housing landlords to remotely manage the maintenance and property access, protecting both tenant and landlord from dangers such...
New ICT training schemes to help graduates net jobs
A New analytics training academy launched in Belfast will help upskill graduates for jobs in this growth sector of the ICT industry. Employment and Learning Minister, Dr Stephen Farry, did the honours in conjunction with the Belfast studio of the professional services firm, Deloitte. The Deloitte Analytics Training Academy aims to provide graduates with the...