Glenfinn Woman Joanne McKenna has received further global recognition with a top award at the City & Guild’s Lion Awards ceremony.
Lion Awards Winners at the ceremony at The Roof Gardens, High Street Kensington.
Joanne was one of the exclusive few from across the UK and around the world to have been honoured for their outstanding achievements in professional and technical education at the Lion Awards. She was named as International Learner of the Year (not in employment) for 2016, marking one of many global achievements.
Dubbed the ‘Oscars of skills education’, the City & Guilds awards showcase the very best in skills talent, recognising outstanding results and progression through learning and training.
Joanne was invited to a prestigious ceremony hosted by leader in global skills, City & Guilds, at London’s iconic Kensington Roof Gardens on Thursday 15 June.
Louise Minchin, Joanne McKenna, and Kirstie Donnelly
The former Donegal ETB learner completed the Software Tester Application programme run by Donegal ETB’s Training Centre in Ballyraine, Letterkenny.
Joanne is currently employed as a software tester and support with Firecloud 365 in the Co-Lab in LYIT.
The City & Guild’s Lion Awards ceremony is one of the most prestigious events in the skills education calendar. The ceremony marks the culmination of the Medals for Excellence awards programme, which dates back more than 100 years.
Joanne was also awarded a 2015-2016 City and Guilds Medal for Excellence in April.
City and Guilds has some two million learners worldwide taking their programmes every year; out of these two million they award 87 medals each year and Joanne was only one of three people in Ireland to receive it for 2015-2016 in April.
As a Medal for Excellence winner, Joanne is in the top 0.004% of City and Guilds learners worldwide which is an outstanding achievement. To receive a Lion Award on top of this was absolutely outstanding.
The Medal for Excellence recognises the achievements of learners, lecturers and trainers who have achieved great results by producing exceptional work, going above and beyond what is expected to achieve their results.
Joanne is pictured (centre) receiving a special presentation from Donegal ETB to mark her City and Guilds Medal of Excellence achievement in April. Standing left-right are Michael Carr, Assistant Manager, Ballyraine Training Centre, Letterkenny; Paul Heron, lead tutor, Software Tester Application programme; Joanne McKenna; Anne McHugh, Chief Executive, Donegal ETB and Guven Faracli, Contracted Training Officer, Ballyraine Training Centre, Letterkenny.
Joanne came to the course with no former knowledge of software programming or testing and her lead tutor, Paul Heron, recognising her excellence in her approach to learning and the application of this learning in the testing environment, put her forward for the award.
The award recognises not only excellent results but also those who show a true journey of progression throughout their qualification. It is a global programme that has now been running for over one hundred years.
A special presentation was made to Joanne at Donegal ETB’s Annual Awards on 28 April in recognition of her achievement.
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