Students at Belfast Metropolitan College have been spreading Christmas Cheer.

As part of the Enterprise and Lifestyle Programme, learners have been making rice-filled sock snowmen and cooking tasty Irish Whiskey marmalade which sold like hot cakes for charity!

The Centre for Supported Learning students complete ESB’s Entry Level Award in Developing Oral Interview Skills (Entry 2) qualification which includes a role play interview based on real life work experience.

Ian Patterson, ESB Trustee and Course Coordinator of Adult SEND Provision, says:

“The Pop-Up Shop activities give our learners a sound CV and lots of skills to talk about! This programme positively encourages creative thinking and aims to develop real business skills to include marketing and sales.

“Underpinning the curriculum, the learners practise their communication and speaking and listening skills. What better way to do this than to work as a team in making seasonal themed gifts for fellow students and friends.”

Belfast Metropolitan College is Northern Ireland’s largest college, with over 37,000 enrolments. Out of 400 students enrolled in full time and part time programmes at Belfast Metropolitan’s Centre for Supported Learning, 270 students are enrolled on ESB qualifications this year.

Juliet Meighan, Associate Lecturer and Tutor in the Centre for Supported Learning was awarded this year’s Burniston Bell Award at our 2019 Young Speakers of the Year Showcase. This accolade named in honour of our founder, Christabel Burniston and our Honorary President, Jocelyn Bell, recognises teachers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to teaching ESB in their centre.

Says Juliet:

“ESB qualifications enable exciting and dynamic learning pathways for the centre’s young learners. We actively engage in real life work, positively equipping our students for work and independence. We take great pride in the accredited ESB programmes our students follow.”

Course Tutors, Lara Thompson and Debbie Cusack also interpret the taught curriculum in a creative way:

“We constantly seek to add meaning to our learners’ vocational training. Access to sheltered employment often requires some background in a work setting which many of our students struggle to gain. We set up simulated industry experiences and then using ESB as our assessment tool we try to actively equip our students with job search skills, including using the telephone and participating in an interview.”

To find out more about out our Employability Skills qualifications, please click here.