Digital Media trainee Iara Silver has been named a Rising Star at the Springvale Learning Awards Ceremony which was held recently at the newly restored St. Comghall’s Hall in Belfast..

Iara, who has completed her Level 1 in Digital Media was presented with her award by Rhona McAuley from Cedar Foundation, where Iara was on placement. Iara is now moving on to a new career in a photography studio.

The judges commented:

What can one say about this student – only extremely positive comments. This student is enthusiastic, good humoured and a great attendee. She deserves this award as rising star because her talent is beginning to shine in her favourite hobby and vocational interest – photography.  As a member of the small but vital deaf community here in Springvale, she contributes wholeheartedly to student and tutor life by capturing in a beautiful, visual and vivid way, the activities we all get up to. Yes, this student is a rising star…………. Iara Silva!

Located on the Springfield Road in Belfast, Springvale Learning has been delivering vocational courses and apprenticeships for over 30 years and continues to be a key player upskilling young people and working with local employers to grow and develop their talented workforce. Today they celebrated their rising stars and learners of the year from both the Training for Success/Skills for Life and Work programme and the Apprenticeships NI Programme. In attendance were young people across their vocational areas, their families, local community and business partners, funders and staff.

Marcus Benkirane, Director of Operations at Springvale Learning, said:

“We pride ourselves on the excellent relationships between staff, students and employers. Our core values of inclusion, passion, respect, integrity, quality and success underpin all that we do. My focus has been to ensure that Springvale is a student centred organisation, and every effort is made to bring about positive and successful outcomes for all our students and today we are here to celebrate and award our students for their achievements”.

A special mention goes out to Thomas McAuley, a young student who started his journey with Springvale as a joiner and is now studying Digital Media which will help him to develop a career in his passion of music. Springvale are so proud of this young man and decided he deserved an Outstanding Talent Award. Thomas who taught himself to play the keyboard has taken the media by storm after playing Robert Miles iconic dance tune “Children” on his Keyboard in front of thousands of young people at Féile an Phobail on Monday 9th August. So it was only apt that he close the Springvale’s Awards Ceremony with a classic from Queen. This video of his performance is well worth a watch: