Business

Welcome to the 2016 Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards

Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards 2016 Sponsors: Laura Cowan- Titanic Belfast, Anna Beggan-Tughans, Professor Deirdre Heenan- Ulster University, Alex Megarry-Phoenix Natural Gas, Minister Dr Stephen Farry- Department of Employment & Learning, Terry Cross- Delta Print & Packaging, Mark Regan- Kingsbridge Private Hospital with Noel Doran & Gary McDonald from the Irish News and BBC Presenter Karen Patterson
Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards 2016 Sponsors: Laura Cowan- Titanic Belfast, Anna Beggan-Tughans, Professor Deirdre Heenan- Ulster University, Alex Megarry-Phoenix Natural Gas, Minister Dr Stephen Farry- Department of Employment & Le Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards 2016 Sponsors: Laura Cowan- Titanic Belfast, Anna Beggan-Tughans, Professor Deirdre Heenan- Ulster University, Alex Megarry-Phoenix Natural Gas, Minister Dr Stephen Farry- Department of Employment & Learning, Terry Cross- Delta Print & Packaging, Mark Regan- Kingsbridge Private Hospital with Noel Doran & Gary McDonald from the Irish News and BBC Presenter Karen Patterson

Welcome to the 2016 Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards, which this year reaches the key milestone of 10 hugely successful years.

In the decade since launching, the WEA has blossomed into the most prestigious awards initiative on the Northern Ireland business calendar, renowned for its innovation and creativity.

It puts people front and centre of everything a company or organisation must do to flourish in this highly competitive world.

Indeed companies are no longer simply vying for growth at a local or national level, but increasingly on the global stage too, and many of those who have entered – and won – these awards since 2007 see the world as a village.

The core values of the Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards remain - that companies and organisations need to continue to look to the assets and strengths of their people, whom they must nurture and develop so that they are performing to their optimum level.

In past years we introduced a Career Inspiration Award focusing on how businesses and/or schools/colleges motivate their young people and help them achieve their career ambitions.

And new for 2016 will be a special Entrepreneurial Spirit Award looking for organisations which are committed to encouraging entrepreneurship and which have perhaps taken risks to stay ahead of the game.

We have also revised a number of other categories as we look forward to engaging with even more entrants.

As always, the Irish News is indebted to our key business partners – Tughans, Department for Employment & Learning, Phoenix Natural Gas, Delta Print & Packaging, Kingsbridge Private Hospital, Ulster University and venue partner Titanic Belfast- for their valuable support, some of whom have had a years-long association with the awards.

The awards – which will be presented for the fifth year running at the iconic Titanic Belfast venue - and open to all companies and organisations, regardless of size, and winners will be selected following a rigorous judging process by a team of industry-related adjudicators.