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Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards

Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards

19 June 2014

A clutch of the north’s most visionary and people-focused companies were honoured last night at the eighth annual Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards in the spectacular surroundings of Titanic Belfast

Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards

Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards

A clutch of the north’s most visionary and people-focused companies were honoured last night at the eighth annual Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards in the spectacular surroundings of Titanic Belfast.

Representatives from a cross section of businesses/organisations, both in the public and private sector, were among the 500-strong audience. A record 20 awards were handed over to household business names like Eircom, Allstate NI, Lloyds Banking Group, Musgrave and O’Neill’s Sportwear. Belfast City Council and the NI Civil Service were also among the public sector recipients, as were two Derry schools in St Mary’s College and St Cecilia’s.

There was a number of new companies with their names being engraved on the iconic and much sought-after WEA trophies. These included Ballyrashane Creamery, TotalMobile and Belfast software company Automated Intelligence (which was the night’s only double award winner).

Indeed such was the interest in our newly-introduced Career Inspiration Award that it was sub-divided into four categories for small, medium, large and education, where the winners respectively were Young Enterprise NI, Automated Intelligence, Allstate NI and St Cecilia’s. This year a record number of companies entered; there was a greater number of entries from public sector, education, IT and manufacturing sectors; and in the judges’ opinions, the standard was unquestionably higher than any previous year. Guests dined out last night on a sumptuous meal which included Ewings cured and smoked salmon with toasted brioche grilled asparagus, soft quail’s egg and Glenarm caviar dressing, and Maurice Kettlye beef wellington with crispy frogs legs.

“We’ve been overwhelmed yet again by the runaway success of the Workplace & Employment Awards,” Irish News marketing manager John Brolly said. “This high-calibre winners’ list proves that, as our economy begins to pick up again, Northern Ireland possesses the visionary leadership and flexible working environment to thrive and prosper.”

Stormont Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry, who was a top-table guest at last night’s function (and whose department has been a staunch supporter of the Workplace & Employment Awards) since their inception in 2007, told the audience that the initiative reinforces the message that the north has people in its workforce capable of making “a real difference” to the economy.

“If we are to compete in a global economic arena, we must continue to do all we can to drive up skills on all fronts, and facilitating the creation of a workforce equipped with the skills needed by companies within Northern Ireland is the strategic focus,” he said. “Skills are widely accepted as the key raw material required in any modern knowledge-based economy and are one of the main drivers in how we will achieve our long term economic goals,” he added.

Co Armagh-born Margaret Byrne, whose stellar career trajectory has taken her to one of the leading administrative roles in the Barclays Premier League as chief executive of Sunderland AFC, was keynote after-dinner speaker, taking guests on a journey into the trials and tribulations of the north east club’s boardoom.

The awards were supported by seven key business partners in Tughans, Liberty IT, Investors in People, Tesco, H3 Health Insurance, PowerNI and Titanic Belfast, and were endorsed by industry bodies the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD).

Winners 2014

Recruitment Innovator Of The Year                   

Winner                                   Webrecruit Ireland  

Work-life, Health And Well Being

Public Sector                                                                                  

Winner                                   Northern Ireland Civil Service

 

Work-life, Health And Well Being            

Private Sector                                                                                

Winner                                   GE Energy        

Highly Commended            Graham Construction

Workplace Excellence                                                                 

Winner                                   St Mary’s College, Derry

Highly Commended                        Ulster GAA   

Highly Commended                        St Mary’s University College, Belfast      

 

Best Place To Work                                  

Small Organisation                                                                       

 Winner                                  Automated Intelligence Limited                               

 

Best Place To Work                                                                      

Medium Organisation                                                                  

Winner                                  eircom

 

Best Place To Work                                                                      

Large Organisation                                                                       

Winner                                   Lagan Construction Group Ltd

Disability Best Practice Employer                                             

Winner                                   Belfast City Council

Highly Commended                        Clanrye Group         

Highly Commended                        trip-ability.com                     

 

Right Place To Work                                

Small Organisation                                                                        

Winner                                   Aurion Learning      

Right Place To Work                                                                    

Medium Organisation                                                                   

Winner                                   TotalMobile Ltd         

Right Place To Work                                                                    

Large Organisation                                                                      

Winner                                   Lloyds Banking Group

Highly Commended                        Henderson Group   

Managing Talent                                        

Small/Medium Organisation                                                        

Winner                                   CDE Global

Highly Commended                        Roe Park Resort

Managing Talent                                                                           

Large Organisation                                                                       

Winner                                   Musgrave Retail Partners NI

Highly Commended                        Survitec Group

 

 

Innovative Employer                                     

Small Organisation                                                                       

Winner                                   Manor Architects

Highly Commended                        Core Systems

Innovative Employer                                                                         

Large Organisation                                                                      

Winner                                   O’Neills International Sportswear Co Ltd                       

 

Green Award                                               

Winner                                   Ballyrashane Creamery                 

Highly Commended                        Newforge House



Career Inspiration Award

Education Sector                                                                          

Winner                                               St Cecilia’s College, Derry

Career Inspiration Award                        

Small Organisation                                                                       

Winner                                               Young Enterprise Northern Ireland

Career Inspiration Award                         

Medium Organisation                                                                   

Winner                                               Automated Intelligence Limited

Highly Commended                                   George Best Belfast City Airport

Career Inspiration Award                        

Large Organisation                                                                       

Winner                                               Allstate Northern Ireland

Highly Commended                                    Cookstown District Council

END

Notes to Editors:

  1. The Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards were held on 19th June at Titanic Belfast
  2. www.irishnews.com/weafor additional information and photographs

For more information contact John Brolly, Irish News Marketing Manager on 0044 (0)28 9033 7519

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