Minister urges employers to invest in people
Thirty three local organisations were today presented with the prestigious Investors in People award by Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, MLA.
Investors in People, now in its 16th year, is a business improvement tool that helps organisations to compete and succeed through improved people performance.
Speaking at the awards ceremony at Hillsborough Castle the Minister paid tribute to those organisations receiving awards and said: “The current uptake of the Investors in People Standard in Northern Ireland is a promising sign for the local economy and should serve as an example to other employers not yet capitalising on the benefits of the standard. It offers employers a practical, user-friendly business improvement framework to ensure that their people are well skilled which in turn enhances business performance.”
The Minister continued: “The Department for Employment and Learning’s ‘Success Through Skills’ strategy identifies the need to not only understand the demand for skills but to improve the skills levels of the workforce. Investors in People is a means by which local employers can help tackle this area and ensure bottom line results. It is encouraging to see so many companies and organisations here today who have demonstrated a clear willingness to play their part in developing the skills of the Northern Ireland workforce.”
Stressing that Investors in People recognition was not the end of the journey for the Award recipients, he added: “Investors in People recognition should not be seen as the end of a project, but rather the beginning of a sustained commitment to long-term business improvement through employee development.”
Over 1,400 small, medium and large organisations from all sectors of business in Northern Ireland are currently working with the Investors in People standard.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Investors in People is a business improvement tool that helps organisations to compete and succeed through improved people performance. The framework is designed to help organisations develop the knowledge and skills of their people so that what they can do is what the business needs them to do. A new version of the standard, designed to meet the changing needs of business and industry, was launched on 17 November 2004 and came into effect in January 2005.
The organisations receiving Awards as Investors in People during this special ceremony were:
Age Concern Northern Ireland BELFAST
Antrim Enterprise Agency ANTRIM
Armagh College of Further and Higher Education ARMAGH
Barbican SuperValu (Rathfriland) RATHFRILAND
Bennett Robertson Design BELFAST
Brady’s SuperValu BALLYCASTLE
Comhairle na Gaelscolaiochta BELFAST
Cookstown Enterprise Centre COOKSTOWN
Department of Finance & Personnel BANGOR
Down Business Centre DOWNPATRICK
Enterprise Northern Ireland LIMAVADY
Foyle Proteins LONDONDERRY
Grafton Recruitment BELFAST
Immaculate Conception College DERRY
KH Boiler Services Ltd CRAIGAVON
Larne Enterprise Development Company Ltd (LEDCOM) LARNE
Lavery’s Bar BELFAST
MacNabb Bros Waste Management DOWNPATRICK
Magherafelt Area Partnership MAGHERAFELT
McLernon Computers SAINTFIELD
McLernon Computers Ireland DUBLIN
MGA Communication Ltd BALLYNAHINCH
Moyle Enterprise Company BALLYCASTLE
Poundhill SuperValu AUGHNACLOY
Road Safety Contract Ltd MAGHERA
Specsavers Belfast BELFAST
Strabane Enterprise Agency STRABANE
The Irwin Group ARMAGH
The Pavilion Bar BELFAST
Townsend Enterprise Park BELFAST
Ulster People’s College BELFAST
Web-Spaced Ltd BELFAST
Youth Justice Agency BELFAST
Media queries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872.