AN eight-strong judging panel yesterday completed the daunting workload of choosing the winners and highly-commended organisations in this year's irish news Workplace & employment Awards. They had to mull over a record number of entries (they smashed through the 100-mark yet again this year) and more than 70 companies and organisations have made the short-list. Irish news business editor Gary McDonald chaired the judging session where he was joined by Paul Gillen representing the Chartered institute of Personnel and Development (which along with the recruitment employers' Confederation has again endorsed the awards scheme).
Also on the adjudication panel were representatives of some of the awards' key business partners, including Mark Regan (h3 health insurance), Lynn Livingstone (Tesco northern Ireland), Shauna Mullan (investors in People), Anna Beggan (Tughans solicitors) and Dr William Hamilton/Cathy Donnelly (Liberty it). Completing the judging panel was gabrielle Fitzpatrick from employers for Disability ni. the judges remarked on the quality of the award submissions, as applicants remain unerringly determined to stand out and benchmark themselves against their peers. "We were struck again not just by the sheer numbers but by the exceptional quality of the entries this year," Gary McDonald said. "The standard was impeccable, and every single winner will have thoroughly earned the right to step up to the podium in five weeks' time," he added. This year's entries included a raft of new names to the competition, which continues to go from strength to strength and the short list reflects a mix of blue chip companies, innovative small firms, public sector organisations and education. The WEA initiative also include a newly-introduced Career inspiration Award, focusing on how businesses and schools/colleges in the north are motivating young people and putting the building blocks in place to enable them to achieve the initial steps towards their career ambitions. That category alone attracted nearly two dozen entries.
Full details of all the short-listed companies are included elsewhere in today's Irish news. The glittering Irish news Workplace & employment Awards black-tie dinner in titanic Belfast on June 19 will be compered by BBC journalist Karen Patterson.
* For full awards details visit www.irishnews.com/wea * Be part of the night. Book your table on 028 9033 9949