It’s never too late for a career change, just ask Tracey Adams, a Higher Level Apprentice (HLA) in Accountancy at Northern Regional College. She works four days a week with Ballycastle accountancy firm, Mark Kilgore & Co and the other day of her working week is spent in class. The two year HLA in Accountancy is an internationally accredited work-based programme, similar to traditional apprenticeships but at a higher level. It is an alternative route to a career in accountancy, aligned with Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI) and Chartered Accountants Ireland.
Continue ReadingPupils from local secondary schools had a chance to explore some of the career opportunities in Occupational Studies when they visited Northern Regional College’s campuses in Trostan Avenue and Farm Lodge in Ballymena for a series of open days. The open days, targeted at 14 –16 year olds, showcased some of the different progression routes for Occupational Studies which includes subjects as diverse as hairdressing, beauty therapy and construction. For example, on successful completion of a Level 2 Diploma in Hairdressing, students can progress to do a Level 3 Diploma. Alternatively, they could opt do an apprenticeship.
Continue ReadingBallymoney-local plumbing apprentice Abigail Reilly, a student at Northern Regional College was the only female student to win a gold medal at the annual Skillbuild NI competition. Abigail was one of only two females to take part in the competition, which sees apprentices from all over Northern Ireland pitting their skills against each other across different trade areas, including plumbing, carpentry, joinery, electrical installation and brickwork.
Continue ReadingMechanExpert, the mechanic’s ultimate resource, is back on the road again and this year, the first stop will be at Northern Regional College’s Newtownabbey campus. The College’s motor vehicle workshops will be transformed as the College hosts the first in a series of events as part of the annual MechanExpert Roadshow. Organised by Matthew McCallum and Iain Knox from Component Distributors, the event aims to bring technical expertise from CD’s partner brands directly to local mechanics. The event is an ideal opportunity for mechanics to get answers to real questions from the very people who developed the products that they work with on a day to day basis.
Continue ReadingPortrush teenager, James Wilkinson, a first year Creative Media student at Northern Regional College, has won ‘Best Advertisement’ at the 2019 Inter Colleges Media Competition. A dedicated follower of the so-called ‘green and white army’, James used his impressive digital skills to create a stirring promotional video for the Northern Ireland football team. The standard of James’ work was so high, it even caught the attention of the national team, who shared the video across their social media platforms.
Continue ReadingYear 10 students from nine local schools took part in a technology tournament hosted by Northern Regional College and Ballymena Rotary Club at the College’s Farm Lodge campus, which saw them go head to head to design, build and launch a space capsule. This year’s annual tournament was the largest yet, with 80 students from St Benedict’s College, Ballymena Academy, St Louis Grammar School, Cambridge House Grammar School, St Patrick’s College, Slemish College, Castle Tower School, Dunclug College and Cullybackey College putting forward 19 teams to compete for the top prize of £200.
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