Ambassadors - Northern Ireland
140% increase in entries
Well done, Northern Ireland!
All our efforts have paid off and this year Northern Ireland is fielding 84 entries. The stories come from all sectors and sizes of organisations, partnerships
and collaborations and individuals.
We knew that there were lots of potential entries out
there and we are delighted that so many have actually
completed the process and submitted an entry.
Your help and support has gone a long way in converting
'possibles' into 'actuals'.
Thank you.
Your work is not finished yet though! The judging process will begin soon and if you know of an entrant who is expecting the judges to visit, please help them to prepare. This is their chance to show the judges the evidence that supports their entry, so make sure that it's all there.
We will know very soon how many of our 84 entrants will become potential winners and get the recognition that they deserve. There may be some who will not progress any further this year, but they will have feedback that will either encourage them to go forward next year or at the very least, look at the design, delivery and effectiveness of their learning programme. Please continue to give your support and guidance.
Well that's it for another year. We now turn our attentions to the judging process and look ahead to the ceremony in the Autumn.
NTA Regional Award Winner, Providing
Education and Training, The Orchardville Society Ltd.
Creating Opportunity for Adults with Learning
Disabilities
An attitude still persists that employment is not a viable option for people with learning disability, making it difficult for this group to access training systems and employment. Belfast based Orchardville Society created Project Opportunity to address this issue, by developing individual skills which impact on employability.
Orchardville Society was established in 1981 by a group of parents, carers and professionals. It is a local voluntary organisation and charity which provides employment, skills development and a range of social economy activities to over 200 people with Learning Disability and Autistic Spectrum Disorder in South and East Belfast.
The Society needed to ensure that the growth of its social economy programmes continued to underpin the quality of its training services and the employment opportunities secured. Project Opportunity was created to help develop employment related skills, confidence/self-esteem and Independence, as well as increase access to work experience and ultimately employment.
Name : Anne Clarke
Until 2001, when Anne Clarke Consulting was established, Anne's work was based in the secondary and further education sectors. She has worked as an Investors in People Adviser and Assessor for more than 12 years and has seen some great examples of effective learning and development right across the sectors. Anne is also a qualified Life Coach.
Anne's involvement with NTA goes back to 2003 when she was on the panel of judges. Between 2004 and 2007 she was a member of the Entrant Support Team for Northern Ireland, delivering workshops and providing mentoring for a wide range of entries. This year, in addition to her role as co-ordinator she will be delivering Information Seminars for the NTA team in DEL
