College Team Gains Global Green Award

A sustainability team at South West College has been recognised as one of the world’s best ‘green’ practitioners. The experts fought off global competition at the International Green Awards, held in London’s Natural History Museum, to claim gold in the Best Green Educational and Sustainability Awareness Category. Now in its sixth year, this ‘green carpet’ event recognises creative approaches to improve sustainability at business, government and citizen levels. South West College received the awards for its development of innovative courses, including a Foundation Degree in Wind Turbine Technology, and its work to help local businesses develop sustainable ideas and products. Aaron Black, Research Lecturer with South West College‘s InnoTech Centre and Carbon Zero NI programmes, said: “This is an incredible achievement for South West College. For a further education college from rural Northern Ireland to compete and win on an International stage alongside industry heavy weights such as Samsung, Nissan, Unilever, P&G, Coca-Cola and De Beers is unheard of. “The award shows that the curriculum and industry assistance we have developed is of the highest international standard. We are so pleased that our work has been recognised in this way.” Awards host, Philippa Forrester, said the judging panel was “highly impressed by the commitment shown by the College in the area of sustainable development.” Funded by the Department for Employment and Learning, the Centre is a specialist training, knowledge transfer and innovation hub which is designed to help move innovative ideas on sustainability, engineering, design, electronics and software closer to commercial gain. Since the Centre’s launch in 2009, it has provided assistance for a series of ground-breaking projects, including the development of wind turbines, biomass equipment, anaerobic digestion systems and hydro-energy stations for local companies. Judges also recognised the specialist training and mentoring activities delivered by the college to the local renewable energy industry through the Carbon Zero NI programmes.