Other News In Brief

Apprentice Firefighters Join Airport Fire Service

Four apprentice firefighters have passed a significant milestone in George Best Belfast City Airport's 'High Flyers Apprenticeship' programme to secure full time employment within the Airport's fire service.

Conor Finch, Damien Wisdom, Jack Leathem, and Cole McClelland land dream roles as operational firefighters at the UK and Ireland's most convenient airport after excelling through the first phases of a rigorous training process.

The young men, who beat off stiff competition from over 200 applicants to secure places on the coveted High Flyers programme, have completed qualifications in advanced medical casualty care, confined spaces, and hose deployment, and will continue their development programme to gain qualifications in LGV advanced driving of major foam appliances, hose working at heights, and water rescue – an element unique to Belfast City Airport.

Following a graduation ceremony attended by proud family and friends, where the apprentices displayed their new skills with live firefighting demonstrations, all four will now operationally join a watch within the airport as competent aviation firefighters.

Appreciating the unique opportunity provided to him by Belfast City Airport, Damien Wisdom from west Belfast said: "A firefighter is one of those jobs you dream of as a young boy but opportunities to get on the career ladder are few and far between so when I came across the airport's High Flyers Apprenticeship programme, I jumped at the chance."

Jack Leathem, from Carrickfergus, reiterated Damien's sentiment: "To get the chance to train as an aviation firefighter is a privilege but to then land employment with an organisation like Belfast City Airport is unbelievable so I'm incredibly thankful to the team there for the opportunity, the training, and the welcome they've given me and the other boys."

Reflecting on the training programme, west Belfast native Conor said it has been "challenging but worthwhile" with Lisburn resident Cole emphasising that, thanks to the help from Belfast City Airport, he "will be able to help others in the future which is the most rewarding part" and is "looking forward to the next stages of the training programme".

Now in its ninth year, Belfast City Airport's High Flyers Apprenticeship programme has had a 100% success rate so far in graduating young people in Northern Ireland from apprentices to full time employment.

Speaking proudly of the airport's investment in young people, Seamus MacMahon, Chief Fire Officer at Belfast City Airport, said: "Supporting and developing young people is something we are incredibly passionate about here at Belfast City Airport and it's an honour for us to be able to transfer our skills to the next generation and give them a chance to kick-start long and valuable careers in aviation firefighting.

"The hard work and determination these four apprentices have shown throughout their training programme to date has been second to none and we are incredibly proud of them for reaching this significant milestone.

"Conor, Damien, Jack, and Cole all possess the confidence and key traits of a successful firefighter. We are delighted to have them join our team at the airport in their new roles and look forward to working with them as they progress through the next stages of their training programme."

Prisoner Ombudsman Appointment Extended For Additional 18 Months

The appointment of the current Prisoner Ombudsman, Dr Lesley Carroll, has been extended for an additional 18 months, Justice Minister Naomi Long has announced.

Making the announcement, Minister Long said: "After taking account of a range of factors, including the work required to bring the role of Prisoner Ombudsman on to a statutory footing, I decided to offer an extension to the term as Prisoner Ombudsman. I am grateful to Dr Carroll for agreeing to commit to a further eighteen months in this important role."

The term will be extended from 31 August 2022 to 29th February 2024.

The Prisoner Ombudsman post is four days per week and attracts a fixed remuneration of £62,713 per annum (pro-rata.)

Belfast City Council To Host Series Of Entrepreneurial Workshops

Belfast City Council has announced a new series of workshops to provide tips to entrepreneurs on setting goals, speaking up and bouncing back

The 'Breaking Boundaries' workshops are designed to equip entrepreneurs with the tools needed for their future business and self-employment paths. Each session will be led by Ciaran May, who is a speaker and performance coach to some of Northern Ireland's most successful athletes. There will also be a guest speaker at each workshop.

At the workshops, you will learn about: confidence building; instilling resilience; goal setting and achieving; dealing with fear and self-doubt; your next entrepreneurial steps.

For a place at one of these workshops, you will need to be a Belfast resident with a business idea, about to start a business or have been in business and trading for less than six months.

Workshop details

There are three workshop dates available, you should apply to attend only one of these sessions:

• Friday 29 July 2022, 09:45 to 14:30 - Girdwood Community Hub

• Friday 19 August 2022, 09:45 to 14:30 - Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre

• Friday 9 September 2022, 09:45 to 14:30 (or 16:30) - Andersonstown Leisure Centre

Attendees at the final workshop in Andersonstown Leisure Centre will be able to put their 'Boundary Breaking' learning into action by taking on the Surf Simulator and Drop Slide.