OCN NI LAUNCHES 2022 LEARNING AWARDS
11/02/2022
OPEN COLLEGE NETWORK NI (OCN NI) has announced details of its 2022 Learning Endeavour Awards. Now in their fourth year, the aim of the awards is to recognise and celebrate the achievements of individuals and their training providers, by highlighting the power of learning to transform lives for the better.
The event is unique in Northern Ireland as it brings together learners from a range of education and training providers, including representatives from the Community and Voluntary Sector, Further Education, Private Training and Schools sectors.
As has been the case for the last two years due to the pandemic, OCN NI has again taken the decision to hold this year’s awards virtually, and as CEO Martin Flynn explained, COVID-19 has not impacted the level of interest and participation in the awards event: “We are delighted to be able to announce details of our 2022 awards event. Despite the impact of the pandemic, last year we had a record number of entries across all of our categories and even though we could not hold a face-to-face event, the feedback from students and training providers alike was unanimously positive.
“This year again we will be recognising outstanding achievements across seven award categories with our customary Hilary Sloan Learning Endeavour Award being presented to the outstanding student of the year. New for 2022, we will be awarding financial bursaries to all highly commended and award winners, more details on this exciting addition will be announced in the run up to the event.”
OCN NI 2022 Learning Endeavour Awards nomination forms will be available via their website (www.ocnni.org.uk/learner-awards) from Mon 21st February until Fri 18th March, with the awards being livestreamed on social media channels at 11am on Wed 27th April.
The 2022 Learning Endeavour Awards categories are as follows:
- Further Education Learner of the Year
- Schools Learner of the Year
- Third Sector Learner of the Year
- Advancing Learning Through Innovation Learner of the Year
- Health & Well-being Learner of the Year
- Inspiring Tutor/Teacher of the Year
- Provider of the Year
- The Hilary Sloan Learning Endeavour Award
Chris Lyttle MLA, Chair of Stormont’s Education Committee, said: “OCN NI plays an important role in the Northern Ireland education sector helping to ensure that no one gets left behind, and their Learning Endeavour Awards is an excellent example of this commitment in practice. Despite the severe COVID-19 restrictions, OCN NI has successfully planned and delivered two virtual award events and I have every confidence that this year’s event will be just as professional and rewarding. Best of luck to all those taking part in this year’s event, and I look forward to watching the winners and highly commended being announced on April 27th.”
Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, Chair for the Economy Committee, said: “I would like to commend OCN for persevering with their annual learning endeavour awards despite all of the difficulties of the last few years. The event has now firmly established itself in the learner calendar and I know from speaking to a number of those who have participated in previous years, the important role it plays in recognising the achievements of our learners, tutors and providers. I would like to wish all those taking part in this year’s event the best of luck and look forward to hearing about their achievements.”
Open College Network is NI’s leading Professional and Technical Awarding Body, awarding qualifications to over 30,000 students annually throughout, Further Education Colleges, Schools, Training Organisations, Third Sector Organisations, Health Trusts, Prisons and other education and training organisations.”
For more information visit www.ocnni.org.uk/learner-awards or you can watch a short introduction video to this year’s awards from OCN NI’s CEO, Martin Flynn below.
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NOTE TO EDITOR: For further information please contact Michael McCrory or Lawrence Duffy of Duffy Rafferty Communications on michaelm@duffyrafferty.com or lawrence@duffyrafferty.com
About Open College Network (NI)
OCN NI’s offices are based in Belfast, and they are regulated by statutory bodies to develop professional and technical (vocational) qualifications from Entry Level up to and including Level 5 across all subject areas. Its mission is to ‘develop and award qualifications which engage, enrich and equip learners for life.’
They are an independent, self-financing charitable organisation that has a proven track record of delivering and contributing to the NI skills agenda. As an indigenous Awarding Body based in Belfast, its priority is to develop and maintain qualifications tailored to the needs of people living and working in NI. It’s flexibility and responsiveness to economic need ensures its qualifications are tailored to the needs of education and training providers, employers, learners and align to the outcomes of the NI Programme for Government.
Through working in partnership with recognised education and training providers, they are able to develop and award qualifications which help tackle educational underachievement and remove barriers to learning. To date the educational charity has registered over 500,000 learners and has worked with over 400 organisations in the public, private and not for profit sectors.