Well Done Mark

Delighted to meet Mark Rogan and hear that he is nearing completion of his ICT course, and has taken the opportunity to take level 2 English at the same time. New year he hopes to train in a trade, probably joinery. Very well done, and keep in touch.

Malaika on FaceBook

Rwanda Shaw called in with fantastic news of Malaika. She has found great success with her piano, guitar and singing, and is heading to college next year in Leeds to study music. This is fantastic news, and we are very proud of her. I gather she has lots of gigs on Facebook. I need to work out how to look, but the rest of you will all know. Great to see Rwanda too, and to hear that she had kept up her two Shimna languages in her current school.

Jamie's Progress

Jamie Doran also started with Hugh J O'Boyle's in September 2009, and is training in Horticulture with the ‘Royal County Down Golf Club’. Jamie is also on the TFS Programme. Jamie is enrolled with ‘Greenmount Agricultural College’, and we have arranged for him to follow a course in Green-keeping.

Jamie has already passed his VRQ in Customer Service, VRQ in Conflict Handling, and NOCN Level 1 Award in Service Sector.

Jamie’s employer is delighted with his progress, as are his tutors in O’Boyle’s and so are we in Shimna.

Andrew Forges Ahead

we have had the following fantastic report on Andrew Law and he forges ahead with his business and his business qualifications: Andrew is following an NVQ Level 2 in Administration, and has managed to apply his knowledge from the course to his work environment. Determined to modernise the shop through his training, he has introduced Broadband, as well as setting up a website for the business. Andrew has also put the accounts on a laptop, applied SAGE accounts, and introduced e-banking for staff wages. Our Assessors have observed his progress at work and in the Training company, and he is well on target to completing his qualifications. Andrew is a pleasure to train, and is a great mentor for his classmates and new students.

We are delighted and hope to be in touch for a case study for our current business students.

Keep in with Emma and Anna

Pat Lenny met up with Emma Small, and found that she has already qualified as an Accounting Technician and is well on her way to being a fully qualified accountant. Anna McKee is also heading that way, having graduated in accountancy, and now working towards Chartered status. Well done both.

Success for Hannah

News today from Hannah Dumigan, who has just received her acceptance into Stranmillis University College to study primary teaching. This course at Stanmmillis is very oversubscribed and the entry requirements are tough. Hannah will have had to prove herself in terms of interview and additional experience as well as her excellent A levels. Very well done, Hannah.

Reunion Brewing

Next year, our foundation students, the students from our very first year, will have left Shimna ten years ago - of course a few of them have turned up back at Shimna again! There is definitely a reunion brewing, and the best way to contact everybody seems to be Facebook, so watch out for details Facebookers, and get ready with suggestions.