Joanne McKenna from Glenfinn has received further global recognition for her achievements as a former learner with the Donegal ETB.
Joanne was named as International Learner of the Year at the prestigious City & Guilds Lions Awards in London last week, having completed the Software Tester Application programme run by Donegal ETB’s Training Centre in Ballyraine, Letterkenny.
Joanne was not only awarded a 2015-2016 City and Guilds Medal for Excellence in April, but has now received a coveted City and Guilds Lion Award trophy.
The Lion Awards event, City and Guilds’ most prestigious awards ceremony, acknowledges the best of the best in a range of categories. Joanne received her award for the International Learner of the Year (not in employment) category at the Lion Awards event in Kensington, London on 15 June.
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.
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.
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 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.
Joanne is currently employed as a software tester and support with Firecloud 365 in the Co-Lab in LYIT.
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