SERC Provide Seminars For The Hospitality And Tourism Sector
AS the tourism increasingly plays an important role in the local economy, it is critical visitors have that unique experience that makes them want to return with their friends.
South Eastern Regional College (SERC) is keen to play it's part in helping those working in local hospitality and tourism organisations to provide services that meet all of the visitor’s needs. To help introduce new ideas that have been successful in enhancing the tourist experience in other regions, the College is organising a series of free seminars over the coming months.
Speaking at the launch of the seminar Kieran Swail, Travel and Tourism lecturer at SERC said: “In my opinion there are two big steps the local organisations need to embrace. Firstly, how to maximise the benefits new technology such as Social Media can bring to their business, and secondly there is a great need for different companies to continue to work together for everyone’s mutual benefit.”
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O'Dowd Recognises Tough Decisions Ahead
Education Minister, John O'Dowd, has spoken following the publication of the Commission for Catholic Education's Post-Primary Review. This review sets out a vision for the future of the Catholic post-primary sector and will inform the area-based planning exercise currently being undertaken by the Boards and CCMS. The Minister said: “I would like to acknowledge the work of the Commission. I recognise the complexity of modernising the delivery of our education system and the anxiety that will be caused to those affected by difficult decisions. However we need to set institutional interests aside and focus on the needs of pupils.
Read more: O'Dowd Recognises Tough Decisions Ahead
Apprentice Skills Showcased At SERC
SEVENTY five apprentices from across South Eastern Regional College (SERC) participated in a day long Inter-Campus Skillbuild competition on Seventy five apprentices from across South Eastern Regional College (SERC) participated in a day long Inter-Campus Skillbuild competition recently.
Read more: Apprentice Skills Showcased At SERC
Titanic Exhibition To Show In Down County Museum
Titanic Honour & Glory, voted by The Times newspaper one of the top five exhibitions in the UK, is set to dock at Down County Museum as part of its Titanic centenary tour on the run up to the 100th anniversary of the tragedy. The exhibition, which will be open from Thursday 19 January until Sunday 15 April, has never been seen before in Ireland, and is sure to attract audiences from all over County Down and beyond. 2012 sees the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
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Hamilton Helps Launch International Development Awards
STRANGFORD DUP MLA Simon Hamilton has joined fellow members of the Assembly’s All Party Group on International Development and pupils from St Joseph’s College in Belfast to help launch this year’s International Development Awards.
The All Party Group on International Development (APGID) have launched a website to invite nominations for the second International Development Awards Ceremony, which will take place in Stormont in March
Read more: Hamilton Helps Launch International Development Awards
Downpatrick Bad Romance Seminar Attended By Education Minister
THE South East Domestic Violence Partnership (SEDVP) in conjunction with the Down District Community Safety Partnership held the Bad Romance seminar in The St Patrick Centre in Downpatrick today (Wednesday 23rd November). The seminar explored the issue of abuse in young people's romantic relationships.
At the event, post-primary school pupils across the district were given recognition for participating in the healthy relationships poster competition which aimed to raise awareness of the domestic violence issue.
Read more: Downpatrick Bad Romance Seminar Attended By Education Minister
SERC Students ‘Have A Go’
SOUTH Eastern Regional College (SERC) gave students the opportunity to get hands-on experience in a range of disciplines at their recent ‘Have a Go’ event.
The event was part of WorldSkills Have a Go, a nationwide drive to create one million opportunities for young people to try a bite-sized taster of a new skill, trade or profession.
Read more: SERC Students Have A Go
First Meeting For Youth District Policing Partnership
THE first Youth District Policing Partnership has taken place in St Mary’s High School, Downpatrick.
Pupils from the School Council worked together with the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) and Down Policing Partnership Members to bring about the meeting which provided an opportunity for young people to discuss policing and community safety issues with local PSNI and Council officials.
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Councillor Cadogan Enright Welcomes Court Victory Over Equal Access For Irish Speaking Pupils
DOWNPATRICK Councillor Cadogan Enright celebrated a successful end to a five year campaign last week to win local Irish speaking children equal access to education in line with all other educational sectors. Now Irish speaking students has equal access to transport to and from their schools.
Cllr Enright said, “As a campaigner for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, I was particularly pleased that Judge Treacy ruled that the Agreement was not merely aspirational but was intended to have ‘practical consequences and legislative significance’. This case will be a landmark case not just for Irish language rights, but for the Peace Agreement as a whole”.
Council Education Committee Looks Over School Survey
DOWN District Council Education Committee discussed the results from its recent survey of all primary schools located in the district. The survey asked the schools to identify areas which were having a negative impact on the delivery of education to their pupils.
Results show the major areas of concern and difficulty experienced by the primary schools were:
Insufficient school budgets and ongoing cuts in funding; poor state of existing buildings and accommodation; increased workload and decreasing number of staff; lack of stability in the curriculum and high level of new initiatives; restriction on admissions and total enrolment figures; and lack of good special needs provision.
Students Kick-Off A Career In Media
A group of students from South Eastern Regional College (SERC) kicked-off their career in media last week at the UEFA U-17 Women’s European Championships.
The tournament, which was played at Irish Premier League grounds seen England, Israel, and Finland compete against hosts Northern Ireland in a round-robin series.
The students, who study an Extended Diploma in Creative Media at SERC’s Newcastle Campus, were approached by the IFA to provide coverage of the tournament, including filming matches, pitch-side reports and interviews and press photography.
Eamon Byrne from Loughinisland is confident the practical experience gained during an onsite engineering placement will stand him in good stead for future employment, having been the recipient of a new scholarship award. Eamon received a scholarship through a partnership between Electric Ireland, part of ESB Group, and Queen’s University which seeks to support students from MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
