Open College Network NI (OCN) has announced details of its seventh annual Learning Endeavour Awards which recognise and reward the achievements of individuals and their training providers, by highlighting the power of learning to transform lives for the better.

The OCN Learning Endeavour Awards is unique in Northern Ireland as it brings together learners from a range of education and training providers, including representatives from schools, further education, private training providers and the community and voluntary sector.

OCN Chief Executive Martin Flynn (pictured above) said: “We are excited to announce details of our Learning Endeavour Awards for 2025.

Now in our seventh year, our awards are getting bigger and better every year and we are delighted to return to the prestigious Titanic Suite in Titanic Belfast on for our annual awards ceremony.

This iconic venue will once again provide an inspirational backdrop for what we know will be an important day of celebration for Northern Ireland’s learners and educators, and we look forward to welcoming over 300 guests to the event, which will be made up of our shortlisted finalists, their family and friends as well as a number of special guests.”

He added: “This is also a special year for OCN as we celebrate our 30th Anniversary. Since our formation in May 1995, OCN has evolved into Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body, impacting the educational landscape of NI by offering flexible, inclusive qualifications that promote personal development and professional growth. 

Our awards will once again award learning bursaries to highly commended participants, as well as category winners. We would encourage entries from as many eligible learners and training providers so that together we can celebrate 30 Years Enhancing and Rewarding the Value of Vocational Education!”  

OCN NI is inviting recognised education, learning and training centres from across Northern Ireland to participate in this celebration of educational achievement by submitting nominations for their outstanding learners. 

Nomination forms for the OCN NI 2025 Learning Endeavour Awards are available now via OCN’s website https://ocnni.org.uk/learner-awards until 4pm on Monday 7th April 2025 with the awards ceremony taking place at Titanic Belfast on Tuesday 24th June 2025.     

Martin Flynn added: “Our annual Awards ceremony provides a platform to honour the dedication and hard work of individuals who have pursued vocational qualifications through OCN. This event serves as a testament to the transformative power of education in positively shaping lives and communities.” 

The 2025 Learning Endeavour Awards categories are as follows: 

• Further Education Learner of the Year 
• Schools Learner of the Year  

• Third Sector Learner of the Year  
• Advancing Learning Through Innovation  
• Health & Well-being Learner of the Year  
• Inspiring Tutor/Teacher of the Year 
• Provider of the Year 
• Traineeship/Apprenticeship Learner of the Year
• The Hilary Sloan MBE Learning Endeavour Award 

OCN’s offices are based in Belfast, and they are regulated by statutory bodies to develop professional and technical (vocational) qualifications from Entry Level up to and including Level 5 across all subject areas. Its mission is to ‘develop and award qualifications which engage, enrich and equip learners for life.’ 

OCN is an independent, self-financing charitable organisation that has a proven track record of delivering and contributing to the NI skills agenda. As an indigenous Awarding Body based in Belfast, its priority is to develop and maintain qualifications tailored to the needs of people living and working in NI. 

Its flexibility and responsiveness to economic need ensures its qualifications are tailored to the needs of education and training providers, employers and learners, and align to the outcomes of the NI Programme for Government. 

Through working in partnership with recognised education and training providers, OCN is able to develop and award qualifications which help tackle educational underachievement and remove barriers to learning.  

To date the educational charity has registered over 600,000 learners and has worked with over 400 organisations in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.