OCN Northern Ireland
January E-Zine
Happy New Year from OCNNI
Dear Colleague,
January is almost behind us and February is hurrying toward us so it may seem a little late to wish all of our customers, students, stakeholders and partners a wonderful new Year- but please let me do exactly that- Happy New Year. Certainly the year holds its challenges, with an international economic outlook which is ...squally.. to say the least, and a report yesterday showing that the UK is holding out against a double dip recession...
This is the international environment within which we are currently working. More locally we have a consultation on a new Programme for Government, a consultation on the Draft Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland, and a consultation on the Economic Strategy for Northern Ireland. Three vital documents which focus us all on our future and the sort of future we want for ourselves, our children and their children. The foundations we lay down today will be the bedrock of our tomorrow. I urge all our partners to read and comment on the draft strategies, certainly we will at OCN NI- they will be key tools that will help us in Northern Ireland and all of us on the island of Ireland to combat the news of yesterday and seek to create a new future for all of us. We will be hosting a forum discussion on what these consultations mean for learning and learners.
As for us here in OCN NI as one of the newest National Awarding Organisations in the UK we will be working closely with all of our partners to make their learning and development plans come to fruition. Working closely with our partners to ensure that both here in Northern Ireland and across Ireland we are able to provide high quality learning and development opportunities. Those learning opportunities will be linked with national qualifications aimed at supporting individuals, groups, communities, industry and commerce to achieve the success that they desire. Working together - it’s always been the best way- it’s always been the OCN NI way.
More specifically we have a number of new qualifications approved, the QCF Diploma in Coaching Gaelic Sports, a spatial awareness qualification aimed at SME to help them focus their business needs more closely on their markets and the Community Development Awards at Level1, 2 and 3 are just around the corner. We will be hosting another consultation event soon on what the next stage on the CD qualifications development. We are also in the process of developing a new Entry Level award for ICT in Essential Skills and a suite of qualifications aimed at employability and progression. We will have new qualifications in Business Administration available in the New Year and qualifications aimed at helping those affected by the downturn back into work. The Creative Arts & Media are key development areas in Northern Ireland and you can expect to see new qualifications focussed on this important sector. It’s a lively time here at OCN NI and an exciting one. These just a few of the developments we are working on.
Supporting these qualifications this year will be a wider number of publications including interactive workbooks, a revised website with a great deal more interaction possible A greater emphasis on social networking to support centres and tutors and verifiers in their important and complex work. We are working with a key partner on developing a Virtual Learning Environment which will support learning for all our centres across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We are currently piloting this and we aim to roll it out to centres as a key resource quite soon. We have already introduced a new customer support system for making the registration and certification system faster and more effective and we will be putting in place a new customer service team and extending our team of Quality Reviewers to make your work with us easer us even more responsive. Out team of dedicated Business Development Officers will continue to work with you to support your work on national or bespoke qualification and learning activity.
OCN NI is a charity and almost unique in Northern Ireland - a national awarding body focussed entirely on delivering on and serving on needs here in Northern Ireland. We are proud of our history of service and are committed to ensuring that we continue that proud tradition of service and support to our learners in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
We are at present in the process of developing a new strategic plan to take us forward over the next three year and we will be consulting with you on what sorts of things you would want from your own Local-National Awarding body. If you have any ideas or suggestions for our plan or for new qualifications-please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of the team. My email is bclarke@ocnni.org.uk or my mobile no is 07500081878
One last thing- a thank you from all of our team- thank you for working with us, for choosing us as your partner in learning, It’s a big responsibility you have placed on us- a huge trust- we won’t let you down.
Happy New Year
Brendan Clarke
Chief Executive OCNNI
Open College Network Northern Ireland Accredits the First National GAA Qualification
Launching the new nationally accredited Ulster GAA courses are Director of Coaching and Games Eugene Young, NI Manager for Skills Active Siobhan Weir, Ulster GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail, Sean McCormick, Open College Network Northern Ireland and Ulster GAA Coaching Development Officer Roger Keenan outside Ulster GAA Market Street Office in Armagh.
For the first time the Ulster GAA will have the opportunity to offer a nationally recognised qualification to participants - The Level 3 Diploma in Performance Coaching for Gaelic Sports. This qualification was developed in partnership with Ulster GAA and accredited through Open College Network Northern Ireland (OCNNI) in its capacity as a national awarding body based in Northern Ireland.
The project was led by Eugene Young and Roger Keenan from the Ulster GAA and Sean McCormick and John Lavery from OCNNI with support from Skills Active – Siobhan Weir.
This course is one of the first national courses to be developed and accredited by OCNNI - it points the way to OCNNI being able to take a lead role in ensuring that specific needs of learners in Northern Ireland are addressed on a national level.
This exciting initiative has been designed in times of economic hardship and unemployment, the aim being to provide GAA volunteers with the opportunity to develop new skills and competencies that will be of benefit when seeking employment.
Welcoming the joint initiative Brendan Clarke, CEO of Open College Network Northern Ireland said, “Sport is an integral part of our life here in Ulster, supporting young players and adults alike to make a valued contribution to their local and national community, as well as to themselves and their families – this aligns well with OCNNI’s mission as a charity focused on supporting learning. To be associated with this key development, and able to support it by accrediting such a distinctive and important activity as the GAA coaching programme, is a source of significant pride to the OCNNI. “
Speaking at the launch of this new initiative Ulster GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail said, “Gaels across Ulster will no doubt be intrigued by this new initiative which offers for the first time ever an opportunity to receive a Diploma in GAA studies.
“We have thousands of volunteers who give their time freely coaching in their clubs from U8s right up to Senior teams. They do so because they have a love for the Association, for the games, for their club and their community. Now the GAA wants to give back to those volunteers by providing the opportunity for our members to obtain a recognised qualification so that they can use that for further education or employment.
“I have no doubt that there will be massive interest in these courses. We have developed the timetable with volunteers in mind and as such the courses will be delivered once a week in the evening time in Armagh City.”
NI Manager for Skills Active Siobhan Weir has also welcomed the launch of the new GAA Diploma courses by saying, ““The formal accreditation of this important qualification is an excellent achievement for Ulster GAA.
Accreditation benefits everyone – from the learner who will achieve external recognition of their skills and the tutors who will be guided by an experienced awarding organisation through to the wider sporting industry which aims to ensure that the hard work of volunteer coaches count towards career development and job satisfaction.”
For further information on the GAA qualifications or the development of Northern Ireland specific or national qualifications on the Qualifications and Credit Framework please contact the OCNNI Business Development Team.
Learner Registration Deadline Dates
This is a reminder that OCNNI requires Centres to register their learners to comply with the following deadline dates:
- For short courses of 15 weeks or fewer in duration learners must be registered with OCNNI within 25 working days of the start of the course.
- For long courses of 16 weeks or more in duration learners must be registered within 60 working days of the start of the course.
In all circumstances learners must be registered prior to the end of their course. Failure to register learners as indicated may:
- result in difficulties in issuing the Recommendation for the Award of Credit form
- lead to a delay in issuing achievement certificates
- incur a late registration fee of £15.00 per learner.
We encourage all Centres to ensure that registrations are submitted to comply with these deadlines. Any outstanding registrations should be submitted to us immediately.
If you have any queries about this request please contact the OCNNI office: Tel 02890463990
Our Vision Statement
To be recognised and respected as the leading credit based learning and development body in Ireland, promoting social inclusion, wider participation and community transformation.
