Investors in People successes celebrated

Developing a skilled and knowledgeable workforce will boost Northern Ireland’s productivity and competitiveness over the next 10 years.

That was the message from the Department for Employment and Learning’s Deputy Secretary Greg McConnell as he met representatives of 80 local organisations who recently achieved the Investors in People Standard.

Paying tribute to their efforts, during a presentation ceremony at Hillsborough Castle today, Greg McConnell said: “Investors in People is a means by which local employers can help ensure bottom-line business results.  It is only by equipping people with the knowledge, skills and ability to do their job that businesses can maximise the performance and output of their workforce.

“We are pleased to see so many organisations here today demonstrating a very clear commitment to workforce development.  It is a promising sign for the local economy and should serve as an example to other Northern Ireland employers not yet capitalising from the benefits of this business improvement framework.”

Stressing that Investors in People recognition was not the end of the journey for Award recipients, he added: “In many regards, today’s ceremony is the start of a process for these organisations.  It should not be seen therefore as the culmination of a project, but rather the beginning of a sustained commitment to long-term business performance through employee development.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

  1. 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
  2. Media queries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press office on 028 9025 7872.
  3. The organisations receiving Awards as Investors in People during this special ceremony were:

OrganisationLocation

ACOVO-Belfast

Allianz Northern Ireland-Belfast

Arts Council of Northern Ireland-Belfast

Ashlea Primary and Nursery School-Londonderry

ASM Horwath-Magherafelt

Aurion Ltd-Belfast

Ballyclare High School-Ballyclare

Ballykelly Primary School-Limavady

Beeches Management Centre, Financial Services Unit -Belfast

Belfast City Council, Committee and Members' Services-Belfast

Belfast City Council, Corporate Communications Section-Belfast

Belfast City Council, Good Relations Unit-Belfast

Belfast City Council, Parks Area Management-Belfast

Belfast Institute – Community Education-Belfast

Belfast Institute – Computing & Administration-Belfast

Belfast Institute – Estates-Belfast

Belfast Institute – Technology-Belfast

Belfast Institute – Workforce & Economic Development-Belfast

Belfast Institute-Belfast

Beverage Plastics Ltd-Lurgan

Boomer Industries Ltd-Lisburn

Bryson House Recycling Ltd-Belfast

Carrickfergus College-Carrickfergus

Checkmate Guarding & Security-Lisburn

Clounagh Junior High School-Portadown

Cooneen, Watts & Stone-Fivemiletown

Core Systems (NI) Ltd-Belfast

Corporate Travel-Newtownabbey

Craigavon Borough Council-Craigavon

Deane Public Works Limited-Irvinestown

Department of Finance and Personne, Corporate Services Group-Bangor

Disability Action-Belfast

Downshire School-Carrickfergus

Drumglass High School-Dungannon

East Down Institute of Further and Higher Education-Downpatrick

Enniskillen Integrated Primary School-Enniskillen

Finlay BME Ltd-Ballygawley

Gaelscoil Ui Dhochartaigh-Strabane

GG Training Enterprises-Omagh

Holy Family Primary & Nursery School-Londonderry

Industry Training Services-Portadown

Kavanagh Retailing (SuperValu)-Strabane

Kiddiwinkles-Dungannon

Lisburn City Council-Lisburn

McKenzies (N.I.) Ltd-Larne

Multi Cultural Resource Centre-Belfast

Newry & Mourne HSS Trust, Allied Health Professionals- Newry

Newry & Mourne HSS Trust, Directorate of Social Services-Newry

NICVA-Belfast

Northern Ireland Rural Development Council-Cookstown

O’Kane’s Centra-Magherafelt

OFMDFM - Corporate Services Division-Belfast

OFMDFM - Equality Directorate-Belfast

OFMDFM - European Policy & Co-ordination, Unit-Belfast

OFMDFM - Office of the Legislative Counsel-Belfast

OFMDFM - Regeneration Division-Belfast

O'Kane Supermarkets Ltd (SuperValu)-Omagh

O'Kane Supermarkets Ltd (SuperValu)-Dungiven

Omagh District Council, Arts & Tourism Department-Omagh

Omagh District Council, Development -Omagh

Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School-Belfast

Partnership Care (West)-Londonderry

R. M. Retail Ltd-Dromore

Rosemount Primary School-Londonderry

Rutledge Joblink-Coleraine

Sharcon Ltd (SuperValu)-Banbridge

Soprano's-Belfast

St Bride's Primary School-Belfast

St Brigid's Primary School & Nursery Unit-Londonderry

St Colmcilles Primary School & Nursery Unit-Claudy

St Comgall's Primary School-Bangor

St Joseph's Boys' High School-Newry

St Matthew's Primary School-Belfast

St Patrick's Academy-Dungannon

St Paul's Primary School-Londonderry

T. D. McKane & Son-Castlederg

The Old Moat Inn-Dundonald

The Pheasant-Hillsborough

Towerview Primary School-Bangor

Waveney Eye Care Ltd-Ballymena