Press Release
Date: Tuesday 27 September 2005 (NR/23/05)
Connect for Success - Innovative New Education Initiative
Local teachers are set to ‘Connect for Success’ with the business community to promote enterprise and effectively prepare young people for the changing global economy. It’s all part of an innovative new education initiative developed by CCEA, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in collaboration with the SELB to ensure that today’s pupils and future employees have the right skills and abilities to successfully contribute to a growing Northern Ireland economy.
The initiative aims to develop teachers’ enterprise skills through engaging the business community in the Dungannon and Cookstown areas, raising their awareness of the global economy and strengthening links within the local community. The pilot will run from September 2005 to June 2006 and will involve 13 schools and more than 1500 students.
The Dungannon and Cookstown areas have been chosen to pilot this new initiative as strong links already exist with local employers through the local Business Education Partnership and the Dungannon Enterprise Centre.
Gavin Boyd , Chief Executive of CCEA comments;
“The revised Northern Ireland Curriculum seeks to empower young people to achieve their potential and to make informed and responsible choices and decisions throughout their lives. We can develop our young people by not only equipping them with the appropriate educational credentials but encouraging them to develop appropriate skills, qualities and attitudes to be successful in whatever they choose to do and to ensure that Northern Ireland remains competitive in the global market.”
Jamie Edwards, Managing Director of Trained Brain a successful life and performance mentoring company has been working with local teachers and principals to help them develop the skills required to deliver this education for work in the classroom.
The use of this type of trainer is indicative of the innovative and ground breaking approach being adopted in the pilot. In fact it was recently revealed Jamie Edwards’s mentoring is the secret behind Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff’s, Ashes heroics. Jamie helped Andrew develop a dual personality to address the different roles he performs as a husband, father and successful cricketer.
Speaking at the launch event held in the Tullylagan Country House Hotel, Jamie Edwards commented;
‘The world is changing rapidly….because something was done a certain way in the past does not mean it is set in stone. Organisations, leaders and people of influence in a young person’s life must change and nurture the skills and positive thinking that will help them to win in the biggest game of all…The Game of Life. The future allows opportunity…the opportunity to excel!’
Local entrepreneur, Claire Murray who is proprietor of The Loft Coffee Bar and Deli on the Green in Dungannon as well as Caffé Lenza in Newry, highlights the importance of involvement with the business community.
“Our success is down to our TEAM of staff. In an employee I am looking for more than just technical skills but also good interpersonal skills and a positive attitude to customers, work and themselves. Learning opportunities are not just in the classroom but in the workplace and community and employers should embrace the opportunity to influence and prepare our young people for working life which in turn will add value to the quality of our workforce.”
It is hoped through this initiative schools in the Dungannon and Cookstown area can lead the way forward for schools throughout Northern Ireland and local employers can set an example for employers in other parts of the world to follow.
Anyone wishing to find out more about the Dungannon and Cookstown Employability Pilot – Connect for Success should contact Vivienne Bannon from CCEA on 028 9026 1200 ext 2120 or email vbannon@ccea.org.uk.
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Year 9 pupils from St Peter's High School, Derry who performed a drama piece about employability during the launch. |
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Teachers from the 13 schools involved in the pilot engaged in training seminars with Jamie Edwards from Trained Brain on the day. |
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From left to right back row; Mr Gerry McGinn, Permanent Secretary, Department of Education; Gavin Boyd; Martin Bowen, Principal St. Peter's High School Derry; Jamie Edwards, Managing Director, Trained Brain; Cecil Holmes, pictured with pupils from St Peter's High School Derry who performed a drama piece during the launch. |
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Left to right; Gerry McGinn, Permanent Secretary, Department of Education; Gavin Boyd; Jamie Edwards, Managing Director Trained Brain; Cecil Holmes; Dennis Legge, Chairman of Dungannon & Cookstown BEPe; Claire Murray, Local Entrepreneur; Aidan McCormick, SELB and Vivienne Bannon. |
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Left to right; Melanie Mulligan; Dennis Legge, Chairman of Dungannon & Cookstown BEP; Jamie Edwards, Trained Brain; Nuala McKenna, Dungannon Careers; Vivienne Bannon; Ms Claire Murray, Local Entrepreneur and Cecil Holmes. |
Schools participating in the pilot are:
Cookstown High SchoolCookstown Primary School
Drumglass High School
Fivemiletown High School and Community College
Holy Trinity College , Cookstown
Integrated College, Dungannon
Sperrinview School , Dungannon
St Ciaran’s High School, Ballygawley
St Joseph ’s Convent Grammar School , Donaghmore
St Joseph ’s College, Coalisland
St Mary’s Primary School, Cabragh
St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon
St Patrick’s College, Dungannon
Media enquiries to Ruth Maguire on (028) 9026 1216, Mobile 07796947993. E mail rhmaguire@ccea.org.uk
ENDS
Note to Editors
CCEA is the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.
CCEA places learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of its thinking. CCEA's mission is:
"To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised"
What we do
CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK , bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.
Advising Government – on what should be taught in Northern Ireland ’s schools and colleges.
Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard.
Awarding Qualifications
– as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body we offer a diverse range of qualifications, such as GCSEs, including the new GCSE Double Award specifications in vocational subjects, GCE A and AS levels, Entry Level Qualifications, and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages.
- CCEA also offers a range of Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (ACETS) targeted at learners who want to get
the knowledge, understanding and skills needed
to hit the ground running in the world of work.
