Education Award winners announced

The draw for the 14th annual ESB Education Awards for children of staff has now taken place and the standard process of validation is completed. At 332 eligible entrants this year, the level of interest remains very high among staff, whether serving, retired or on voluntary severance. Children of deceased staff are also eligible to apply.

The idea for such a scheme came from Dundalk Participation Council back in 1992/93, and the National Participation Council took up the suggestion. Following considerable discussion and research, their recommendations were accepted and the first awards were granted in September 1993.

Five awards are granted each year and are payable for up to a maximum of four years. There is an open draw which is supervised by ESB Group Internal Audit. As well as drawing the first five names, a standby list of five further names is also drawn. This is to allow for situations where one or more of the first group may not be able to take up the award.

Awards are paid once recipients present evidence that they have been accepted to the specified course by the college in question. If a candidate fails to meet any of the award conditions, the award is then offered to the next person named on the stand-by list.

Over the years, the range of courses taken by the successful candidates has been refreshingly broad. Along with Business, Finance, Humanities, Engineering, Law, Science and Construction, the list includes Languages, Nursing, Journalism, Pharmacy, Sociology, Public Relations, Music, Psychology, Graphic Design, Communications, Marketing, Fine Arts, Architecture and Education. This year's awards process has been administered by Catherine Griffith, HR Shared Services. The following are the results of the 2006 draw which took place on the 11/10/2006: