Minister praises learning bursary
11 September 2007
Minister for Employment and Learning, Sir Reg Empey, tonight attended the annual presentation ceremony of the Aisling Bursaries Initiative, in West Belfast.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister welcomed the awards: “The Aisling Bursaries Initiative has been hugely successful in providing financial assistance to students from West Belfast going into further and higher education. This initiative is now in its eighth year and over 300 people have benefited from it - something this community and local businesses should be very proud of.”
Looking to the future and highlighting the importance of widening participation in higher education, Sir Reg went on to say: “The Aisling Bursary Initiative sits very well with the Department’s strategy for broadening the further and higher education bases and helps to encourage applications from all parts of society to study a variety of subjects. It is only by widening and improving the skills base here that we can realize our goal of making Northern Ireland economically competitive, not just locally, not just nationally, but globally.”
The Minister commended the local businesses and other partners which have contributed so much to the success of the scheme and without whose support it would not be sustainable. He encouraged others to follow their example, pointing to the longer term benefits to the local economy.
He concluded by congratulating the successful students and encouraging them to grasp the opportunity that the Aisling Bursary provides.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The Aisling Bursaries were set up by the Andersonstown News and the West Belfast Partnership Board in March 2000 to spotlight education as a key element in the development of west Belfast and to enable local businesses to put something back into the community.
2.Local businesses are invited to pledge bursaries to assist local students in or intending to go into further and higher education. To date £291,500 has been distributed to 329 successful applicants in the form of £1,000 or £500 Bursaries.
3.The aim of the bursary programme is to give financial assistance to students from West Belfast going to further and higher education and training. Some of the bursaries are specifically for those participating in vocational training.
4. The strategy, Widening Participation in Higher Education, can be found on the Department’s website at http://www.delni.gov.uk/he-widening-participation.htm 
4.Media queries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872.
5.Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.