More NI Undergraduates Registered

Official Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) figures released today detailing the number of full-time students accepted into undergraduate courses, show a continued increase in Northern Ireland. Commenting on the figures, Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, said: "The increase of 5.8% in the number of applicants accepted to Northern Ireland Higher Education Institutions in the current academic year is both very positive and very welcome. It is significant when viewed against a reduction of around 1% in the number of 18 year olds in Northern Ireland available to apply to university. These figures are very timely in that they will help inform the current review of variable tuition fees," he said.

Teachers Act On Pay

Schools across Northern Ireland face disruption with thousands of teachers taking industrial action over pay. Members of the NASUWT, have said they want equal pay and conditions to their colleagues in England and Wales. The action includes not covering for absent colleagues, no administrative or clerical tasks and no more than one after-school meeting a week.

Derry Air Link To Spain Announced

As anticipated, Ryanair has announced details of a new international flight route from City of Derry Airport. This will be the first scheduled service to operate from City of Derry to Alicante in Spain and will commence 4 June, 2009. Mayor Gerard Diver commented: "A direct scheduled international flight is a long standing ambition for the city."

Seagate Workers Take Pay Cut

A third of employees at Seagate Technologies in Londonderry are to receive a pay cut of 10%, workers have been told. Approximately 300 people in the Springtown premises will be affected. There will also be redundancies at the plant, but the company said fewer than five people would be affected. The company said it plans to save £150m and will reduce its global workforce by approximately 2,950 employees. See: Seagate Job Loses Loom?

Wizard Way For Farmers Developed

Newtownabbey company FarmWizard Ltd is on target to more than double its turnover thanks to sales of its innovative web-based agricultural software, developed with R&D support from Invest Northern Ireland. The company has invested around £600,000 over the last three years in the development and marketing of its FarmWizard herd management solution. The only system of its kind in the UK, FarmWizard enables farmers to remotely monitor cattle herds, reducing time spent on paperwork and greatly increasing the achievable margins on livestock.

Profits 'Ring-Fenced'

An Ulster fencing firm has secured a number of high-profile contracts across Ireland and GB. Draperstown-based Rogers Fencing Systems will supply the innovative steel security gates after receiving marketing and sales advice from Invest NI. The firm is currently in the process of manufacturing and installing high specification gates for installations being developed by EDF Energy, the UK gas and electricity supplier, at one of the biggest-ever construction projects in the London area, as well as for the National Grid and the Post Office. Rogers has also supplied and installed high specification security gates for ESB installations in the Republic of Ireland and locally at the George Best Belfast City Airport.

(BMcC/JM)