Insider has announced the shortlists for this year's Made in Northern Ireland Awards, revealing the manufacturing and engineering businesses as well as the apprentices that have made the cut.
An independent panel of judges was brought together by Insider to scrutinise, assess and evaluate all the entry submissions in the nine award categories and determined the shortlists and the eventual winners.
South West College (SWC) earned recognition in the 'Apprentice of the Year' category, with five of its apprentices being named as finalists. Among the shortlisted apprentices are Brendan McCann, Ethan Magowan, and Orla Donnelly, who are pursuing Level 6 Open University Engineering Degree (Top Up) apprenticeships at Mallaghan Engineering. Additionally, Louis Johnston and Jonathan Hawthorne, who are enrolled in Level 5 Ulster University Engineering with Higher Level Apprenticeship at Greiner Packaging.
Both Mallaghan Engineering and Greiner Packaging, who have provided these apprenticeship opportunities, have also been nominated for the Manufacturing Apprenticeship/Training Scheme Award.
The winners across all nine award categories will be unveiled at a special lunchtime event taking place at The Titanic Hotel, Belfast on 12th May 2023.
Now in their tenth year, the awards recognise and reward the excellence of the manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland and showcase the successful achievements of innovative and forward-thinking businesses across the whole region.
The sponsors of the Made in Northern Ireland Awards 2023 are Cleaver Fulton Rankin, Deloitte and MCS Group. Vision Fabrications is sponsoring the drinks reception.
For school leavers interested in an apprenticeship, South West College (SWC) is preparing to host its annual Apprentice Connect event from 16 – 18 May at their Omagh, Dungannon and Enniskillen Technology and Skills Centre campuses, respectively, from 7 pm - 9 pm daily.
For further information, follow South West College on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or to register your attendance, please visit: www.swc.ac.uk/events/apprentice-connect