After accepting his award at a ceremony in London on Wednesday 7 May, Jordan said: “I am so thankful to the NRC team, my mentor Michael and the Hutchinson Aerotech team for giving me the support, encouragement and opportunities to achieve all that I have done in the past two years. I am also grateful to the Career Academy programme for the opportunities that it has presented to me. I never in a million years would have thought that I would be doing what I am doing now. The Career Academy programme has been life-changing for me and I would recommend it to anybody.”
Mark Hutchinson, Managing Director, Hutchinson AeroTech said, “I would like to congratulate Jordan on winning this award. His journey over the last two years has been nothing short of inspiring and it is credit to Jordan and NRC's hard work and determination that he has received this prestigious award. He is an inspiration to other students and work colleagues."
Bill Watson, Career Academy Manager at Northern Regional College, said: “We nominated Jordan for this award as we have seen first-hand his transformation throughout the programme. He is a true inspiration to existing and future students. Jordan was thinking of dropping out of education before he switched to study engineering at Northern Regional College. Jordan has achieved a lot over the past 2 years which has included working with Hutchinson Aerotech, Antrim on his work placement alongside his mentor Michael Sherratt (Production Manager). Outside his college work Jordan has also been involved in the setup and running of FOCUS which is a suicide awareness charity. He is now working with Hutchinson Aerotech, as a process engineer manufacturing aircraft components and plans to study a University of Ulster Foundation Degree part-time with NRC starting Sept 2014. We are very proud of him and delighted he has been recognised for all his hard work and determination to be the best he can be.”
Named after former Chairman of Lloyds Banking Group Sir Winfried Bischoff, also a former chair and trustee of the charity, the award is given to the two most outstanding students on the two year Career Academy programme around the UK. The programme in Northern Ireland is supported by the Department for Employment and Learning.
Jordan received a plaque, a cheque for £250 and a certificate, and he will soon embark on a trip to the USA where he will visit some of the biggest employers in New York. In addition, he will receive £500 a year for three years towards his university costs.
The Career Academy programme has been running in Northern Regional College since 2012 and offers students a unique opportunity to gain insights into the real world of work, get some invaluable experience and build their network of contacts.
