First Further Education College students selected to take part in the Washington Ireland Programme

Belfast Met (@BfastMet) is delighted to be the first Further Education College in Northern Ireland to be part of the Washington Ireland Program (WIP). Kelly Welsh and Jonathan Forbes who are studying their BTEC L3 Extended Diploma in Business have been selected to participate on this prestigious programme which has rigorous selection criteria.

Glen McMahon, International Manager at Belfast Met, confirmed:

“We are absolutely delighted to be the first Further Education college in Northern Ireland to be a part of the Washington Ireland Program, and are very excited to see what the future holds for our students and this outstanding partnership.”

The two Belfast Met students will join over 100 other young leaders that have been selected from the island of Ireland and will have the opportunity to meet with global leaders in business, diplomacy and politics in Dublin and Belfast. Each student had to apply for the WIP through their website and undergo an interview process.

Bryan Patten, Executive Director of the Washington Ireland Program, said:

“The 2021 programme will see students connect with global leaders in business, diplomacy and politics both virtually and in Dublin and Belfast. Despite being unable to travel to the United States, this year’s Class can still work for leading global companies on a remote basis, gaining invaluable experience for their future careers. The diverse group also will work on developing policy proposals to tackle pressing issues facing Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Bryan added: “We will have some of our brightest young minds thinking about how we address division and build social cohesion, how we create employment for young people after the pandemic and how we become a global leader in climate issues.”

20 year old student Kelly Walsh from Carrickfergus, confirmed:

“The Washington Ireland Programme has finally given me a platform for my voice to be heard, it’s an amazing opportunity to expand my networks and meet new people, and together I believe we can truly invoke change throughout our communities for the better.”

“I had the opportunity to work alongside an amazing group of people from America, and without the support and encouragement from my college tutors I would never have been able to achieve this. I have been placed with WIP’s sustainability cohort. I’ve always known that I wanted to go in the financial direction with my career, and hope to either start a business or charity that researches and supports rare disabilities.”

“During the project I will be working alongside the world bank researching sustainable finance, and I then hope to go on to study a Higher Education course at Belfast Met”.