Ballynahinch girl picks up prestigious learning prize

Ballynahinch girl picks up prestigious learning prize

11 June 2014

BALLYNAHINCH student Rebecca Wilson was a finalist in this year’s Northern Ireland Learner of the Year category at the annual VQ awards ceremony held at Parliament Buildings.

Rebecca works at the CM Accident Repair Centre and in 2011, as a student with the Mallusk-based Riverpark Training and Development Ltd., was a finalist in the IMI Awards “young technician of the year” car painting category.

Since then, she’s been a finalist in the Northern Ireland Young Painter competition and was selected for the Car Painting UK Squad for World Skills 2013.

Rebecca was the outright winner in the AMVT competition in car painting in January this year and is on the list for the UK Squad for World Skills 2015. Along the way, Rebecca has picked up a Level 2 and 3 in vehicle refinishing.

Stormont Employment and Learning Minister, Dr. Stephen Farry, said Rebecca and the other winners and finalists should all be “incredibly proud.”

He said he had no doubt they will reap the benefits of their hard work and commitment through long and successful careers in their chosen vocational areas.

Dr. Farry added: “VQ Day provides an excellent opportunity to recognise the outstanding achievement of learners in Northern Ireland and highlights the vital role that vocational qualifications play in ensuring employers have access to skilled personnel who are equipped with the right skills. 

“Equipping people with the skills they need is at the very heart of delivering a prosperous future for individuals, businesses and the Northern Ireland economy.”