Danny McGinley who is a rail track apprentice with Translink Northern Ireland Railways and in the second year of a Level 2 City and Guilds Rail Engineering programme at Northern Regional College, is a finalist in the Public Sector Apprenticeship category. Danny gave up a full-time job as a bus driver to start a new career as a track technician, a decision which he admitted was prompted by a conversation he had with his young son:
“He made me question what I was doing with my career, so I decided to show him, and others younger than me, that you are never too old for education. An apprenticeship is an excellent opportunity to develop new skills if you are looking for a career change.”
Brian Welsh, who is an apprentice trainer with Harland & Wolff with responsibility for the College’s cohort of engineering apprentices, has been shortlisted for the Mentor award. He developed an apprentice training school within Harland & Wolff and tailors the training delivered to meet the company’s specific needs. He is currently working with 45 apprentices from the College across different specialist skills areas.
Northern Regional College is also in the running for Mentoring awards in both the Small to Medium Enterprise in partnership with a Training Provider, and Large Employer in partnership with a Training Provider Award categories with Carrickfergus joinery company McCue and Ryobi Aluminium Castings (UK) Ltd. respectively.
Moira Doherty, Head of Skills and Education at DfE, said it was tremendously encouraging to see the exceptional quality of the apprenticeship training evident in the nominations for this year’s Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Awards.
“The quality of submissions reflects a deep commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a skilled workforce, and is testament to the transformative power of apprenticeships,” she added.
NI Apprenticeship Week from 5 to 9 February, an initiative led by the Department for the Economy, will showcase how apprenticeships can transform the future of apprentices and businesses, helping them to realise their full potential. It is an ideal opportunity for would-be apprentices of all ages to learn more about available apprenticeships in a variety of sectors including accountancy, beauty therapy, construction, engineering, hairdressing, health and social care, IT, transport, and utilities.
As part of NI Apprenticeship Week, Northern Regional College, in partnership with Mid and East Antrim is hosting a Higher Level Apprenticeship event in The Braid, Ballymena on Wednesday 7 February from 5 – 7 pm.
Details of other in-person and virtual events happening across Northern Ireland during Apprenticeship Week are available at https://bit.ly/3RWqPoV or by searching the nidirect website.
For information on apprenticeships and other training opportunities at Northern Regional College click here.