Belfast Met Celebrates Apprentice Talent at Annual Apprenticeships Awards

Siobhan Lyons, Belfast Met Interim Director of Development and Partnerships; Sarah Welsh, Former Business Administration Apprentice and Guest Speaker; Apprenticeships Award Winner Paul McManus, Engineering Apprentice with Spirit Aero; and Damian Duffy, Belfast Met Interim Principal and Chief Executive.

Over thirty apprentices at Belfast Metropolitan College were celebrated for their exceptional achievements at the college's annual Apprenticeships Awards ceremony.

The awards, held at Belfast Met's e3 campus on Wednesday evening, brought together apprentices and their families, college staff, and employers to recognise the remarkable progress and dedication demonstrated by apprentices across the college's diverse apprenticeship programmes.

The Apprenticeships Awards showcase the talent and commitment of apprentices who are mastering their trades while gaining valuable real-world experience alongside expert training from Belfast Met's teaching staff.

Apprenticeships remain a cornerstone of a successful Northern Ireland economy, developing the skilled workforce essential for businesses across the region.

The awards reflect the wide range of apprenticeships on offer at the college, including traditional sectors such as plumbing, joinery and engineering, as well as cutting edge sectors like cyber security, pharmacy, and Data Analytics.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Interim Director of Development and Partnerships, Siobhan Lyons, commented:

"Tonight we celebrate not just individual achievement, but the future of our local economy. Our apprentices are developing industry-leading expertise while making meaningful contributions to their employers and communities.

"Belfast Met now supports over 1000 Apprentices and Higher Level Apprentices across our programmes, each one building the foundation for a successful career while helping to address the skills needs of Northern Ireland's businesses.

"These awards recognise those who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their professional development. Their success reflects the quality of our partnerships with industry and the dedication of our teaching staff. I'm confident these apprentices will become the skilled professionals and leaders our economy needs to thrive in the years ahead."

Award winners were as follows:

The School of Science, Engineering and Construction

  1. Antaine McNicholl, Alarms, Professional Fire & Security (PFS)

  2. Ewan Forsyth, Electrical, Nugent M&E

  3. Isaac Forsythe, Performing Engineering Operations, Queen’s University Belfast

  4. Mark Holloway, Performing Engineering Operations, John Holloway

  5. Jake McClean, Performing Engineering Operations, Cimpina

  6. Luke Kinnaird, Engineering, Spirit Aero

  7. Paul McManus, Engineering, Spirit Aero

  8. Aaron McCloskey, Joinery, Hesketh Joinery

  9. Leon Adams, Motor Vehicle, Volkswagen Van Centre

  10. Ewan Warnock, Motor Vehicle, Mervyn Stewart Skoda

  11. Emmet O'Neill, Plumbing, ATS Gas

  12. Arran Barr, Brick work, Tony Harriet

  13. Jennifer Hunter, Civil Engineering, Department for Infrastructure

  14. Jill Kennedy, Civil Engineering, Department for Infrastructure

  15. Holly McColl, Pharmacy, Clear Pharmacy

  16. Rachel Campbell, Scientific Technicians, Queen’s University Belfast

The School of Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion

  1. Danielle Brown, Childcare, Little Rays

 

The School of Creative and Digital Industries

  1. Andrew Hartland, Citi Data Academy, Citi

  2. Alayah Verdasca, Telecoms, Department of Justice

  3. Kerri McDaid, IT Networking, Queen’s University Belfast

  4. Rachel Green, IT Cloud, Hallmark Solutions

  5. Jonny Magee, IT Cloud, TP ICAP

  6. Andrew Devonshire, IT Cyber, Danske Bank

  7. Holden Gibson, Print, Northside Graphics

 

Business and Skills Department

  1. Sarah-Jane Calvert, Providing Financial Services, Lloyds Bank

  2. Lauryn Gordon, Business administration, NIE Networks

  3. Michael McElhinney, Hospitality, Premier Inn

  4. Jude Hamilton, Providing Financial Services, Citi

  5. Aaron Lamont, Leadership and Management, PHS Group

 

The Belfast Business School

  1. Angelika Dzenite, Data Management, Pacem

  2. Georgia Abernethy, Culinary Arts, Posh Nosh

  3. Jack Gillespie, Accountancy, Sumer NI

  4. Nicole Cameron, Event Management, Fairytales Weddings/Northern Lights Event Hire

  5. Aimee Mallon, Hairdressing, G&S Hair studio

Damian Duffy, Belfast Met Interim Principal and Chief Executive; Siobhan Lyons, Belfast Met Interim Director of Development and Partnerships; Apprenticeships Award Winner Paul McManus, Engineering Apprentice with Spirit Aero; Event Host Lynette Fay; Sarah Welsh, former Business Administration Apprentice and Guest Speaker; and Rachel Burns, Belfast Met Head of Department for Business and Skills.