Students’ exchange visits help boost our skills base
International student exchange visits are helping build the skills base in Northern Ireland, according to Wendy Waring, UK account manager atBritish Council. She was speaking at a recent reception at Belfast Harbour Commissioners Office for students taking part in the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) Programme managed by the...
Graduate Eamonn shows true spirit of an entrepreneur
Driven, focused and determined to succeed… just some of the words used to describe this year’s winner of the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award developed by the University of Ulster Business School in partnership with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber). Ulster Business School student Eamonn Kerr, from Glenariff, Co Antrim, impressed the...
WorldHost scheme hits major milestone
Jewellery retailer Argento’s area manager Mairead McCusker has become the 250th person in Northern Ireland to complete the retail WorldHost customer service programme. Managed and delivered by sector skills council People 1st alongside the National Skills Academy for Retail, World Host for retail is supported by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) and follows...
Kris Thompson
Role: Digital Channels Manager Company: Danske Bank Track Record: What does your job entail? I have responsibility for managing Danske Bank’s digital platforms — including online banking, mobile banking and tablet banking. My role is essentially to increase usage of the digital channels and to improve our customers’ experiences of managing their finances through them....
Kilwaughter Seeking Talented New Staff as Part of its Three-year Vision Strategy
CELEBRATING 75 years in the business, Kilwaughter Chemical Co Ltd is now keen to meet with talented and experienced engineers. The company is one of the UK’s largest independent premixed silicone render manufacturers and supplies an extensive range of agriculture and landscaping products throughout the UK and Ireland.The firm takes pride in its innovative product...
Equipping Industries to Compete on World Stage
Semta, the sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing, is an employer-led organisation responsible for equipping the UK’s vital industries with theb skills to compete on the global stage. Representing 13,800 companies with a 1.66 million- strong workforce which generates annual revenues of £309bn for the UK economy, Semta provided the following statistics for...
Shortage of Women Taking STEM Subjects
RECENT figures reveal that women account for less than 30% of those graduating in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths), excluding medicine and health. Helen Wollaston is director of WISE, whose mission it is to promote female talent in STEM from classroom to boardroom believes part of the reason for the shortage is a...
Enhancing Skills in Engineering
A new multi-million pound engineering competence centre in Northern Ireland will focus on developing innovative solutions within the sector. The £6.8m Advanced Engineering Competence Centre, based at the Northern Ireland Advanced Composites & Engineering Centre (NIACE) on Airport Road, Belfast, will help companies to develop advanced technologies across a range of sectors including aerospace, automotive,...
Career Advice Call
The Northern Ireland Careers Advice Service should be doing more to encourage self-employment as a career option, according to the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIR-TA). NIIRTA chief executive Glyn Roberts said: “Retail is our largest employer in the pri-vate sector and many of our further education colleges offer retail foundation degrees, which will...
Chairs Appointed
Richard O’Rawe has been appointed chair of the governing body of Belfast Metropolitan College and Joseph Martin as his opposite number in the South West College. The governing body of a further education college is responsible for securing the efficient and effective management of the college, determining its strategic direction, appointing its senior staff and...