GEMS NI

GEMS welcome Fatuma back to Belfast

it is great news that you are home with us again!

Welcome Back!

GEMS NI welcomes our new member of staff Naomi Hutchinson

We are delighted to welcome our new member of the M-Power Outreach Team Naomi Hutchinson who joined us on 4th January 2010.
Prior to joining us Naomi worked with RNID within the Employment, Training and Skills Service (ETSS) as an Employment Advisor for 18 months.  Her role as an Employment Advisor consisted of providing impartial advice and guidance on an individual bases (and also in group situations) to people who were deaf or hard of hearing.  The majority of our clients were unemployed and faced many barriers on a daily bases in relation to trying to access training and employment.

Naomi was also involved with working with employers carrying out consultancy work.  This consultancy work consisted of carrying out assessments on an organisations’ physical building and also on the service they provided, to ensure that they were making themselves accessible to the 219,000 deaf and hard of hearing people in Northern Ireland.

Naomi will be working in South West Belfast and will also support M-Power clients throughout South and East Belfast who are deaf/hard of hearing)

Aileen and Yvonne sparkle at Careers Guidance UK Awards 2009

Our very own Aileen Graham has won a top prize at the UK Careers Guidance Awards of 2009.

Aileen won the coveted UK Careers Guidance Practitioner of the Year Award.  Aileens hard work in the LEMIS project is all about reducing social exclusion and providing impartial employment advice was nationally recognized at the Institute of Careers Guidance (ICG) Annual Conference held in Blackpool earlier this month.

Aileen is employed by GEMSNI and works very hard on the South Belfast Local Employment Intermediary Service (LEMIS) programme, which is funded by the Department for Employment and Learning. It provides tailored assistance to help umemployed people find and hold onto a job.

Yvonne , a Careers Adviser for Careers Service NI, Department for Employment and Learning in Ballymoney also received recognition for her work in career planning.  Yvonne’s recognition was based on her career guidance work using an assessment tool called MAPS (Measuring Attitude, Aptitude and Personal Style)  With the MAPS tool, Yvonne helps her clients identify careers best suited to them.

Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Employment and Learning congratulated both Aileen and Yvonne on their tremendous success: “Aileen’s award is a fantastic accolade for my Departments LEMIS initiative, for GEMS NI and for Careers Guidance practice in Northern Ireland”.

“In addition I am pleased to see the skills and expertise of my Departments staff, such as Yvonne’s, recognized at a national level.  With the current economic downturn my Department will continue to provide a first class Careers Service which is committed to providing support and guidance for the unemployed of all ages across Northern Ireland.”

Speaking about her award Aileen said, “The LEMIS service is a shining example of real partnership working between the Department for Learning and Employment and Learning and the Voluntary / Community Sector where we work together to support people towards employment.  I am delighted to have been chosen for this award and that it recognizes the high quality service that we provide in LEMIS.”

Would you like to develop your English, Maths or ICT skills? 

Then the Learner Access Engagement programme might be for you!

Gems NI are offering free training locally, which is available to anyone who is unemployed (between 19-65 years of age).  You need to live in the South Belfast area, and not have a GCSE (or equivalent qualification), in maths English or ICT.  More than one course can be undertaken.

All levels are catered for in a friendly, relaxed environment. Not only will you get a recognised qualification for the learning, but you will also receive a financial incentive for completion the course.  All the learning takes place in a friendly, relaxed environment.

Many adults choose to return to learning to develop these skills for many different reasons.  It may be for personal reasons; to improve skills for work or at home.  Many parents have found this learning to be of great value, as it has helped them assist their children with school homework.  We have also found that it has also been an excellent starting point for life long learning and a return to education for adults.  Building these skills can also help adults further develop motivation and confidence, to engage and participate in activities in the community.

If you are interested in this great opportunity, give us a call and get learning!

Contact Shane, on 02890 332 313 to find out more.

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