Gildernew celebrates CAFRE Training Award
Minister Michelle Gildernew MP MLA has praised the success of a training programme, managed by the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, in the National Training Awards.
The training programme which focuses on business development is designed to help farm families grow their diversification businesses.
Known as the Diversification Challenge Business Start Follow-on Programme, it is delivered in partnership by the College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), local consultancy Deirdre Fitzpatrick & Associates and Mallusk Enterprise Park Limited.
The three partners received a Regional Training Award and a prestigious National Training Award under the category of ‘Partnership and Collaboration’, at the regional awards ceremony held in the Culloden Hotel during October. As a result of this success they were invited to represent the North of Ireland at the gala ceremony where 50 National Training Award winners from England, Scotland, Wales and the North of Ireland were celebrated. The event was held in the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London this week and six overall winners of the year were announced.
Congratulating everyone involved in the programme, the Minister said: “The Diversification Challenge provides those in the industry with a unique opportunity to acquire relevant business skills and apply them to develop their businesses. The programme, which is the first of its kind, helps to ensure that farmers can successfully manage an alternative business in addition to their main farm business. It is now recognised as one of the leading training programmes across these islands. The achievement of this award is a testament to the outstanding standard of education we provide across our CAFRE campuses.”
Melanie Humphrey of Mallusk Enterprise Park explains further: “The economy of Northern Ireland has also benefited from CAFRE’s Diversification Challenge Programmes as over 300 diversification businesses are creating full and part-time employment for over 580 people”.
Deirdre Fitzpatrick said. “This programme has been innovative and exceptionally successful. Over 100 farm family members have now gained accreditation from the Institute of Leadership and Management and are now managing successful farm diversification businesses. It is rewarding to have the programme recognised at this level and we are delighted to have won a UK National Training Award”.
Pictured recently at the National Training Award UK Winners’ Gala ceremony held in the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London were L-R Michael Gould, Director, Department for Employment and Learning, Melanie Humphrey, Chief Executive, Mallusk Enterprise Company, Deirdre Fitzpatrick, Deirdre Fitzpatrick and Associates, Colin Jackson, Celebrity guest and at the event, Louise Millsopp, Programme Manager, CAFRE, and John Sands, Programme Leader, CAFRE.
CAFRE, Deirdre Fitzpatrick and Associates and Mallusk Enterprise Company received Regional and National Training Awards (NTA) for excellence in delivery of the Diversification Challenge-Business Start Follow-on programme in the Partnership and Collaboration category of the NTA competition.
