Adult Learners' Week: being the best that we can be

18 May 2012     Last updated: 20 Jun 2014

Guest speakers at NICVA’s certificate presentation ceremony - held as part of Adult Learners' Week - spoke of their confidence after taking part in training to deliver more effectively in their organisations.

Roisin Foster of the Ulster Cancer FoundationRoisin Foster, CEO of the Ulster Cancer Foundation spoke about her own learning journey and gaining a Masters in voluntary sector management through NICVA some years ago.  She spoke of the importance of accreditation and being motivated to set targets and to reflect on our practice. 

Sandra Bailie, Head of Organisational  Development in NICVA, encouraged a group of over 20 learners in attendance to take up “the challenge of adopting a personal learning culture which sees every opportunity as a chance to learn something new”. Like Roisin, she spoke about the motivation to learn and to “understand why something is important to know or do and to have the freedom to learn in your own way.”

Part of the audience at the presentation

Emphasising this wanting and needing to learn, two interesting and inspiring learners spoke of their positive experiences in taking part in NICVA training.  Judith West from the Ulster Cancer Foundation is looking forward to putting into practice the skills she gained in the taking part in the Train the Trainers programme and Jolena Flett from NICEM spoke of the confidence she now has in managing her staff and project.

Learners were presented with the certificates they achieved over the last 6 months, adding to the 300 learners who have already achieved ILM certificates in NICVA over the last three years.

Certificate Achievers

Roisin Kelly, NICVA’s Skills Development Coordinator, is delighted with NICVA's contribution to Adult Learners' Week.  “It has been a busy week for the skills development team and I can only mention here some of the events we held this week," she said.

“We started in Limavady on Monday discussing how to promote our organisations more effectively, then on Tuesday we had a great day at Stormont when FALNI launched Adult Learners' Week.  Like our own ceremony today (Thursday) we heard encouraging, inspiring stories of adult learning and people’s new found confidence when they took part in all kinds of learning.” 

She continued “I am particularly pleased that we were able to start the management and leadership training on Rathlin on Wednesday evening, during a week of celebration, inspiration and engagement.”

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