Permanent Secretary Congratulates Local Disability Organisation On Training Success

16 March 2005
PERMANENT SECRETARY CONGRATULATES LOCAL DISABILITY ORGANISATION ON TRAINING SUCCESS

Will Haire, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Employment and Learning, today congratulated disabled students from the Orchardville Society on their success in obtaining a range of vocational qualifications. He was speaking during a celebration event at Belfast City Hall.

At the ceremony, 79 students received over 220 external and internal awards. These include NVQs in Catering & Hospitality and Administration, as well a range of courses in Essential Skills accredited by the Open College Network.

In his speech, Will Haire told the students: "You should all be really proud of yourselves; you have shown people what you can do. I know that you have worked very hard indeed to gain your qualifications and I hope that for many of you this is only a starting point and you will be able to use your qualifications to help you to get the job you really want.

"The training that you have received at Orchardville has helped you to become people that employers should be proud to have working for them. It is great that in the last year 12 people from Orchardville have entered the world of work."

The Orchardville Society was established in 1981 to develop educational, vocational and community support services for people with a learning disability living in the South and East Belfast Area. The Society is one of the largest organisations providing vocational services to people with learning disabilities in Northern Ireland. At present, there are over 190 people with learning disabilities undertaking training across the range of the Society’s programmes.

Will Haire concluded by congratulating the staff from the Orchardville Society. He said: "You have made a real difference to the trainees – you have helped to raise their self-confidence; you have helped to give them skills which will benefit them in the future and crucially, you have helped prepare them for the world of work. This is very important, given that people with disabilities are twice as likely as those without, to have no qualifications or no job."

The awards ceremony was attended by families, friends and representatives from a range of business, public and voluntary sector organisations. The event was sponsored by BT and Abbey Community Partnership.
NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Orchardville Society provides a range of services to assist their clients. One of the key features of the provision is the opportunity for many of the participants to work in a real working environment that provides services to businesses and individuals. The services include; the Orchardville Business Centre which provides a range of business services to organisations and individuals; the Edgecumbe Coffee Shop, a street front café on the Woodstock Road and Edgecumbe Catering Services Ltd, a community business providing commercial catering services throughout the Greater Belfast area.

Media enquiries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872.

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