We Are Randox | Sarah Cunningham, winner of Miss Promotional Model 2017 at the Miss Northern Ireland Awards
We Are Randox | Sarah Cunningham, winner of Miss Promotional Model 2017 at the Miss Northern Ireland Awards
One of the best things about our We Are Randox series of staff stories is that we get to find out all sorts of interesting things about our colleagues. We love getting to hear about what they get up to outside of work, to find out what really makes them tick and to be able to celebrate their special talents and skills!
So you’ll not be surprised to hear that we were really excited to find out that our Finance Placement Student, Sarah Cunningham, was recently in the Miss Northern Ireland competition 2017, after having won her heat in Cookstown.
We sat down with Sarah to find out a bit more about what really goes on behind the scenes of Miss Northern Ireland, and about how the competition helped her develop her self-confidence.
Here’s Sarah’s story.
I really stumbled upon the Miss Northern Ireland competition by chance, as I was looking for a new challenge and my friend simply said “Why not give that a shot?”
I didn’t necessarily know what I was getting myself into other than that it looked quite fun and my friends were really supportive so I just wanted to give it a chance and see how it went.
So I actually entered for the first time last year, and although I’m from Ballyclare I entered a heat in Enniskillen because I was advised to enter a heat in a small area where there’s fewer applicants. Then you have more of a chance of progressing!
So I went to the heats in Enniskillen and what I was most surprised to find is that the Miss Northern Ireland pageant is so heavily focused on your personality. Every girl that enters is really glamorous, with beautiful hair, makeup and clothes, so everyone is on a level pegging in that regard. But they want more than just a girl who’s into her looks. What really sets you apart is making sure to get your personality across.
When last year’s competition ended I knew that I wasn’t ready for the excitement of the experience to be over just yet, so I chose to do it again in 2017.
In my heat in Cookstown this year the judging panel was made up of a mix of sponsors including Donnelly Group and Insanity Tan, and then when I moved up to the finals, last year’s Miss Northern Ireland was also on the judging panel.
In the final there’s 2 winners from each heat. So from Cookstown there was myself – I was Miss Cookstown – and there was also Miss Sense (a nightclub in Cookstown which sponsored the other winner and also hosted our heat). There were 12 heats in total so there were 24 girls in the final, held in the Europa Hotel in Belfast.
Between the time of the heats and the final itself there were a few promo opportunities which we got the opportunity to attend, like photo shoots and also a boot camp.
The boot camp was really intense – one day was just a really full-on session of training on what was expected of us, so from 9-5 we sat listening to and absorbing a lot of information – quite a lot of which was new to so many of us.
The final, which was in May of this year, began on a Saturday morning, even though the event wasn’t until the Monday night! We stayed in the Europa Hotel during that time and had 10-12 hours of rehearsals each day leading up to the event.
That’s what I like to get across when I’m telling people about this experience. It’s not just standing up there and looking pretty. It’s really intense and the event organisers like to use the rehearsal time to see who puts the hard work in and who really wants it the most. It’s easy to identify those who can’t really be bothered, and those who want it so much that they’re pushing on in spite of their sheer exhaustion. At the finals the event starts off with a big opening dance so much of our rehearsal time was spent learning and perfecting that routine.
On the Monday afternoon you also have an interview with 12 different judges and I can genuinely say it was the most daunting thing I have ever experienced! They really do grill you! I think I can say with confidence that this is the stage when the judges actually make their decision – even before the event itself – because it’s when they really get to know you properly and find out lots about you.
I think that’s actually a good thing because by the time the event comes around that night then you’re not really worried or stressed anymore. You know that the judges have already made their decision and the evening won’t change that, so you might as well relax and have a really fun and enjoyable night.
I suppose they might have their top three in mind and then whoever shines on the night will be their eventual winner but it certainly does lift a certain amount of the pressure knowing that the interview – the scariest part – is over.
After the dance routine there’s a number of different rounds to display different aspects of the competition. There’s a runway section for example, a fashion show and then we put on some really beautiful ballgowns.
Following that then the presenters introduce each individual to the audience based on the answers you gave during your interview earlier on in the day. This year it was Q Radio and Zoe Salmon who presented on the night of the final. When introducing me for example they would say; “This is Sarah Cunningham. She studies Business Studies and is currently on a placement with Randox Laboratories.”
After that the judges then cut down the entries to their Top 10, and each girl within the Top 10 has to fit in to a particular category. So for example they’ll choose “Miss Sport,” or “Miss Talent” or “Miss Social Media.” The talent category is optional – I think about 10 out of the 24 girls this year chose to perform a particular talent of theirs. Those 10 girls performed for the judges on the Sunday morning and the winner performed at the final on the Monday night.
I got “Miss Promotional Model.” It sounds silly but it basically means that based on my personality they saw that I would be good at going out and chatting to people so I must come across as quite persuasive. I might make a good salesperson!
Then at this stage there’s more questions for the girls who make it in to the Top 10 – focused on what you would do if you won at the Miss World finals, which are being held in China later on this year. They asked me a lot about what I would bring to China and how I would showcase Northern Ireland to the rest of the world.
It was Miss Anchor (a bar in Portstewart) who won this year’s Miss Northern Ireland – a girl called Anna Henry who has just finished graduated with an engineering degree and is currently on a gap year before she starts work.
Her new role as Miss Northern Ireland 2017 involves a lot of appearances because many of the well-known businesses organisations in Northern Ireland like having her involved in their events throughout the year. At the end of this year she will go to China for an entire month for Miss World, and when she returns, the process to find Miss Northern Ireland 2018 will begin. Anna will sit on the judging panel for the 2018 heats, which will go on for about 8 weeks.
I think I have one more go at Miss Northern Ireland in me, but I’m going to wait one or two years before I have another go. I have until I’m 24 to enter, so I think I’ll take a few years out to focus on my work and university degree.
I think beauty pageants sometimes get a bad rep for being “a bad example” for younger girls but I totally disagree with that premise. All of us who were involved in Miss Northern Ireland 2017 are now such good friends and we got on so well during the whole process. We really were like one big family and if anybody was to make a negative or demeaning comment about somebody the rest of us would stand up and put a stop to it. That’s not what we were there for – we were there to support each other and we all understood that only one person would ultimately win so we might as well enjoy it and have a good laugh together as friends.
I made life-long friendships and I really enjoyed the whole networking aspect of the event – meeting new people and making new contacts. I’ve also learnt that I really enjoy modelling and although I won’t be pursuing it full-time because I’m studying Business Studies, I think it will be a really fun hobby for me and I’ll definitely do some jobs here and there if they come up.
And the whole process has really helped me develop my self-confidence. A year ago I wouldn’t even have been able to give this interview because I was so timid and shy but the experience has really brought me out of my shell.
I was involved in a STEM challenge event with Randox a few weeks ago in which I hosted a Mathematics challenge for students from Victoria College and the Girls’ Model Belfast and I don’t think I would have been able to do it if it weren’t for Miss Northern Ireland. It’s a great experience and I truly believe it helps girls with their self-confidence. I have nothing but admiration for the whole process and I look forward to seeing who will win next year.
For more We Are Randox stories make sure to follow #WeAreRandox on our social media channels.
If you are interested in joining our global team make sure that you check out the Randox careers website to see what new opportunities we have for you.
Randox Evidence Investigator used in major HIV/AIDS study
The Department of Clinical Biochemistry in the Royal Free Hospital in London has recently completed a major HIV/AIDS study into the cause of lipodystrophy, with the help of the Randox Evidence Investigator.
Lipodystrophy is a disorder in which the body’s distribution of fat undergoes serious changes. People with lipodystrophy can suffer from the build-up, the loss, or the redistribution of body fat and HIV/AIDS patients often suffer from the disorder.
The exact reason for its cause and progression is not completely understood, but it is thought that it can sometimes be triggered by an infection within the body.
The Department of Clinical Biochemistry in the Royal Free Hospital, alongside the Department of Pharmacology, The Institute of Biomedical Statistics and Infectious and Tropical Diseases, all at the University of Belgrade in Serbia, therefore launched a study to determine the relationship between levels of interleukins in HIV/AIDS patients and the presence or lack of lipodystrophy. Interleukins are produced by white blood cells to stimulate the immune response.
The Randox Evidence Investigator, a semi-automated benchtop analyser, which is capable of processing up to 2376 tests per hour, was used to measure interleukins IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10, in 66 HIV/AIDS patients. The results demonstrated that lower levels of IL-4 and IL-10 influenced lipodystrophy in those people.
Significantly lower levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were observed in patients suffering from lipodystrophy compared to those who did not suffer from lipodystrophy. The interleukin levels were measured using the Cytokine Array I that utilises Randox’s Biochip Array Technology and enabled all of the tests to be performed simultaneously on the patient sample.
These results show for the first time a significant correlation between IL-4 levels and lipodystrophy in HIV/AIDS patients, making the study a significant breakthrough in understanding the development of the condition and potential therapy.
You can find more information about the study on PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28189545
For more information on our Evidence Series range of Biochip immunoanalysers please visit www.randox.com/multiplex-testing or email EvidenceSeries@randox.com
Randox Food Diagnostics test committed to fighting antibiotic resistance is awarded AOAC Performance Tested Certification
After several years of dedicated R&D, Randox Food Diagnostics are pleased to announce that the industry’s leading body, the AOAC, has granted its Performance TestedSM certification to the company’s Antimicrobial Array I Ultra Kit (License Number 051705).
AOAC standards are used globally to facilitate public health and safety and promote trade, and the rigorous three year certification process was completed in conjunction with the US Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine validation protocol. In addition to internal validation studies and reporting to the AOAC Research Institute, an external independent expert laboratory was required to evaluate the methodology.
Achieving the AOAC Performance TestedSM certification sends a strong statement to the industry about RFD’s commitment to support food producers by providing the highest quality diagnostic tests.
The widespread use of antibacterial agents in veterinary practice, as bacteriostatic agents as well as to promote growth, has increased the concern about the levels of contamination of food products that can be consumed by the public. To protect both the consumer and the industry, regulatory authorities have specified maximum residue limits.
The Antimicrobial Array I Ultra Kit tests for 13 antibacterial agents: for consumer protection, the presence of these compounds in the food supply is highly regulated or banned. This Biochip based kit uses a multi-analytical approach, and therefore maximises detection capability which will improve food safety.
Head of Randox Food Diagnostics, David Ferguson, said:
“This is a major achievement for our team and we are delighted to receive this certification from AOAC. One of our central goals is to be a catalyst for improving food safety, which is why we invested so much into tackling the widely-reported dangers of antibacterial residue in food.
“There’s a growing awareness among consumers and producers about the critical issue of food safety. The Antimicrobial Array I Ultra Kit will meet the increasing demand for highly accurate diagnostic tests.”
The test kit is exclusively available on Randox’s proprietary Biochip Array Technology.
For more information please contact enquiries@randoxfood.com
About AOAC-RI
The AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI) was incorporated in 1991 as a wholly owned subsidiary of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. The AOAC-RI serves as an independent, third-party, nongovernment administrator of AOAC conformity assessment programs including the AOAC Performance Tested MethodsSM (PTM) and Official Methods of AnalysisSM (OMA) programs for alternative and sole source methods.
For more information, visit www.aoac.org.
Staff Newsletter May / June 2017 Edition
Staff Newsletter May / June 2017 Edition
We are delighted to be able to share with you the May / June 2017 edition of our We Are Randox staff newsletter!
Click on the image for a range of company and staff news from the past two months – including The Great Randox Bake Off, our Placement Students of the Year 2017, and a bunch of exciting staff weddings and engagements!
** Please note that image links work most efficiently in your Google Chrome browser**
We Are Randox | Randoxās very own Secret Footballer, Corey McMullan
Follow football? Then you won’t want to miss our exclusive interview with Glentoran player Corey McMullan.
Mathematics placement student Corey recently signed a two year contract with the prestigious Belfast football team and took some time out during the off season to talk to us about his football journey to date.
Read Corey’s story below.
“I’ve always been into sports. When I was younger I played football, tennis, badminton…I had a go at everything really but football has always been my main passion. Some of my best memories are of the Milk Cup which is held up in the north coast. I was captain of the Derry/Londonderry team and we played against some of the biggest teams in the world including CSKA Moscow and the Corinthians from Brazil. The following year I represented Northern Ireland in the Under 18s Centenary Shield. I think getting to play for your nation is a great honour and what it made it even more sweet was the fact that we beat the Republic in Sligo on St Patrick’s Day by scoring a last minute winner.
The first team that I played for was Limivady United and then when I was nineteen I moved to Ballyclare Comrades. I’m originally from Coleraine but I knew that the Ballyclare team had a good reputation and were good at giving young players a chance on the field. I decided to go and play for them – even though it took me an hour to get to training every week.
I played with them for one year and won ‘Player of the Month’ for the NIFL championship in January before I moved to Glentoran. We had just finished playing the Institute FC in a play-off game in a home and away over two legs and I scored the winner. It was after that game that the manager from Glentoran, Gary Haveron, got in touch. He had been watching the play-off and invited me down to The Oval where I signed my two year contract.
My family were buzzing when I told them I had been signed; they take a big interest in my football and my dad has never missed a match. I feel like I’m ready for it now. I’ve been playing since I was 16 and playing for Glentoran is a great opportunity for me.
We haven’t been told who the first fixture is against but I have already played my debut in Detroit. It was for the fiftieth anniversary of the Detroit Cougars, when Glentoran, representing NI, went to America to raise the profile of football there. The Glentoran squad exceeded everyone’s expectations as they were the only semi-professional football team that were brought over at that time and they did really well. Going as part of this team in 2017 was a great experience and it was the first time that I met all the boys on the squad. I started the game which drew in a crowd of 5 thousand people. It was such a big crowd which I didn’t expect. It was a bit surreal.
While we were in the US we went to Third Man Records, a famous records store in Detroit. Usually part of the initiation process when joining a new club involves an embarrassing sing along. So while we were in the record store I sang a rendition of ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams for all the lads. Personally I’m more of a shower singer but it was a bit of craic and a few other guys got up after me. We also got to meet Scott Benson, a Detroit city councilman, and we went on a tour of the city.
Although I’ve always been a keen football player I’m also lucky to be decent at maths and I have tutored for friends and family. You never know where football can take you so in the meantime I’m currently doing my placement year at Randox, working in the Pricing and Tenders department.
I found the opportunity through the university careers portal and at the time I didn’t know that maths could take you into these areas but I’m finding out that a good maths degree can open a lot of doors. I had heard of Randox before as my uncle had previously worked for them and was involved in the early developments of the Randox Science Park. I wasn’t 100% sure what I was going to pursue at university, I had been interested in languages and science but maths was probably my best subject. It sounds simple but that’s honestly the way it was!
It’s been a great experience – I get along with my team very well and I am enjoying the work. I’ve had real hands-on experience during my placement year and I have found that the further I get into my degree the more options are becoming available. I was thinking of doing a masters in maths and also considering doing a PGCE in maths, but I haven’t quite made my mind up about that one yet.
It can be tough trying to balance work and football but I do manage it fit it all in. This past year I’ve been up from 6.30am to get to work and I usually stay on late because I have training after work in Belfast or Crumlin until 8.30pm. After training, I do my own training and practice my shooting to improve my game.
I support Man United as a team but the players whose careers I’d like to emulate would be Pogba and Steven Gerrard. They both play centre mid field and have a similar game to me. Gerrard is a good athlete – there are a lot of guys who can attack and defend but Gerrard is an all-rounded mid fielder. Currently it’s the off season but the pre-season is fast approaching and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and seeing where my football career will take me.”
For more We Are Randox stories make sure to follow #WeAreRandox on our social media channels.
If you are interested in joining our global team make sure that you check out the Randox careers website to see what new opportunities we have for you.
Students become Randox scientists and engineers for a day at STEM Challenge event
Over 50 students from across Northern Ireland celebrated International Women in Engineering Day on Friday 23rd June, by taking part in the first annual STEM Challenge event, hosted by global healthcare firm Randox Laboratories.
The students, from the Belfast Model School for Girls and Victoria College Belfast, joined female scientists, engineers, software developers and mathematicians from Randox, for a number of interactive activities organised to mark the special day, which is aimed at tackling the gender divide in engineering and other science, technology and maths-related disciplines.
Speaking at the event was Professor Máire O’Neill of Queen’s University Belfast – Professor in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and former recipient of the British Female Inventors and Innovators Network’s British Female Inventor of the Year award.
Professor O’Neill commented;
“I’m really delighted to be here today at the Randox STEM event and to have the opportunity to speak with girls who could potentially be the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, software developers, and significantly, on today, International Women in Engineering Day, the next generation of female engineers.
“Engineering is not a job for men. The representation of engineering as a “masculine” job is a socially constructed one, and at that, an inaccurate one. The skills required for engineering are found just as readily in the young girls I see here before me today as they are in their male classmates – patience, analysis, communication, empathy and problem solving.
“Enabling these young girls here today to meet with female engineers from Randox provides them with really positive role models who can share their experiences and hopefully encourage the students to really consider what it is to be an engineer.”
The students had the opportunity to ask the Randox representatives all the questions they wanted to know about working in STEM, and were treated to a tour of the facilities at the recently acquired Randox Science Park, which has become the new headquarters for the company.
Linda Magee, Head of Human Resources at Randox added;
“We want young girls to know that engineering is as much a viable career choice for them as it is for their male counterparts. At Randox our female to male ratio of engineers is significantly higher than the UK average – 15.8% as opposed to only 9% – but we still have a long way to go and we feel quite strongly that we can utilize Randox’s status within the Northern Irish business sector to really spearhead a paradigm shift in how we view engineering disciplines.”
Mark Gray, Biology Teacher at Victoria College Belfast said;
“We were delighted to hear that Randox were hosting a schools event in support of their STEM campaign, to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day. It’s important to give girls the chance to get involved and gain hands-on experience within these different disciplines and deliver the message from an early age that they have the same opportunities as boys in every part of life, especially their careers.
“By giving them more information and explaining the benefits of STEM we’re opening the doors for girls into areas that they might not have considered before. We need to make certain that young girls have the right support and experience to choose the right job in their future professions and a campaign like this offers us the perfect opportunity to do so.”
The Randox STEM challenge on International Women in Engineering Day, Friday 23rd June, was the culmination of a week-long initiative celebrating women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths, and in leadership roles across Northern Ireland.
For further information contact Randox PR on 028 9445 1016 or email RandoxPR@randox.com
We Are Randox | Jonathan Acheson, Physiotherapist to the stars
It’s not every day you get to meet a celebrity. Whether it’s an actor, comedian, model or sporting legend, we all secretly hope that the time will come when we can get to meet our idols!
But what if you were able to work, travel and play alongside your role models every week?
That’s exactly what our Randox Health Corporate Relations Manager, Jonny Acheson does.
Jonny has worked with some of the biggest names in the Northern Irish sporting industry – providing physiotherapy and sports massages to rugby players including Stephen Ferris and Ruan Pienaar!
Read Jonny’s story below.
I went to school at Belfast Royal Academy and played rugby all through my teens. Then I went on to study Physiotherapy at the University of Ulster in Jordanstown, from which I graduated in 2012.
I had a part time job in B&Q during university and so worked my way up in there whilst studying for my degree, all the while playing rugby for my university of course!
It seemed like a natural progression to work my way through the B&Q ranks while I was there, and so when I qualified, I got promoted to Project Manager for B&Q Ireland, working from our Dublin office. It was a fantastic experience to be able to develop my people management skills, but working in the health industry was really where I wanted to be, because physiotherapy and rugby were my passion.
I was therefore delighted to have been offered the opportunity to meet the head of 352 Healthcare, to become the outpatient physiotherapist for the 352 Group. I was responsible for setting up and running the outpatient physio department – a job which I did for 2 years whilst also doing other part time physio work in sports.
For some time I worked with Ulster Rugby as a sports massage therapist, after having volunteered one afternoon a week for a couple of months. That summer I got to go away on their pre-season trip to Bayonne in south France for the week.
There’s one story from that trip that I will always remember. After the game against Bayonne, the players, coaches and I were all walking down from the changing rooms to the players’ lounge for a meal and a load of fans had waited behind to get autographs.
I was walking behind Stephen Ferris and Ruan Pienaar and they started signing autographs for their fans. All of a sudden one supporter was asking me to sign his flag, thinking that I was one of the Ulster rugby players.
I had a moment’s pause while I tried to pull together in my head an explanation in French that I didn’t actually play for the team!
After deciding that my French wasn’t good enough to explain this I thought that it might just be easier to sign… so there were about 20 french fans who thought they were getting all the Ulster rugby stars names, but actually ended up with the lesser-known Jonny Acheson scrawled across their Bayonne flags! I did however write my name in my best and neatest handwriting.
I was also the physio for the Irish Deaf Football Team in the Deaf European Championships in Hannover in Germany, and in the Deaf Olympics in Sofia in Bulgaria, and for the Ulster Deaf Football Team.
I learnt a lot from my dual role in 352 Healthcare and sports physiotherapy, but most importantly that I wanted to be able to bring my sports and health background to a sales and business development position. Therefore the position of Corporate Relations Manager at Randox Health seemed like the perfect fit.
Having an understating of anatomy and the physiology of the body is invaluable when explaining our health programmes to clients. My physio background has also opened several doors that have allowed me to continually grow my contact network.
I continue to do physiotherapy for Randalstown Rugby Club part time, in addition to my role here at Randox. I also play for the Randox Rugby team.
I’ve been asked by a few other local teams to come back and play for them again next season, but I’m still undecided. Unfortunately I had 5 fractures and a ruptured ligament from a rugby injury a few years back which restricted my playing. I had 2 plates and several screws inserted to try and fix the breaks and rupture, but when I had these taken out a year later, I was left with part of a screw that had broken off and was too difficult to remove!
So it might be quite some time before I’m back to playing full time. If only I knew a sports physiotherapist…
We are committed to improving healthcare worldwide and every member of our team plays an integral role in helping us to realise our vision. We are therefore very lucky that Jonny has brought his experience and anatomical expertise to his role in Randox Health.
If you’re interested in joining our growing team of talented and enthusiastic professionals, please contact recruitment@randox.com
For more information about the #WeAreRandox initiative please contact Randox PR by email: randoxpr@randox.com or phone 028 9442 2413
Randox unveils returners programme to bring more talented professionals back into the workplace
Global diagnostics manufacturer Randox has launched an initiative to help bring more talented women and men back into the workforce.
Randox Returners has been developed to support professionals who have had a career break for three years or more. The six-month paid scheme gives people the chance to transition back into a working environment without the pressure of taking on a permanent role. Returners will be given the opportunity to work on real-time projects, upgrade their skills and increase their confidence.
Successful candidates will embark on a six-month programme, where they will go through a comprehensive week-long induction and be assigned a personal mentor. As well as the chance of flexible working where possible, there is also the opportunity for the position to become permanent at the end of the scheme.
Linda Magee, Global Head of HR at Randox, said:
“With a returner scheme like this, everyone benefits. In order for us to continually develop and innovate, we need to build teams with ambitious, skilled and dedicated people; and we know there are talented people outside the workforce who want to come back. STEM industries in particular lose highly skilled women, and when you consider this is then combined with an under-representation of women to begin with, it’s clear that action is needed.
“Traditional recruitment methods can be a barrier, with misinformed perceptions about career breaks. We want to challenge this, because we know people can gain new, valuable skills during time away from traditional work. We hope that by offering this programme we’ll appeal to these motivated and experienced people.
“We also want to make sure that once they’ve taken that first step, the experience of being back in work is a positive one. That’s why we’ll provide an extended induction, select a mentor and offer opportunities to improve people’s skills and boost their confidence. It matters to us that our teams succeed, because we depend on them.”
Randox Financial Accountant Michelle Bradley returned to work after a ten-year break to bring up her children.
“Coming back to work after being away for so long was really daunting: the first job I applied for was a much lesser role than ones I had done previously. What impressed me about Randox initially was that they didn’t put me in that role, because there was a role for a more experienced person coming up. When I interviewed for that a month later, I was delighted to get it.
“It was an enormous help to have a mentor, even though it wasn’t an official role then. Bob was very friendly and supportive as I learned a new accounting programme, and that meant my confidence grew quickly. When I needed help to juggle family responsibilities I found Randox understood that, and I’ve now been here over three years.”
Maureen O’Reilly, NI Chamber of Commerce Economist said:
“We are very pleased to welcome the Randox Returners initiative. It is great to see such a positive and practical initiative from the private sector and particularly one focused on encouraging more highly-skilled people back into the workforce.
“I can’t stress how critical this is for an economy like Northern Ireland. We have the highest economic inactivity rate across the UK regions – around 1 in 4 people who could work in Northern Ireland don’t, around 27% in NI compared to around 18% in the south of England.
“Businesses here are currently facing a skills shortage when recruiting for all types of positions, particularly at the senior end of the scale. A CV gap shouldn’t mean the end of the career. Employers are now having to be more flexible, and should recognise that returners can contribute significantly to society and the economy.”
For further information on the Randox Returners programme please visit www.randox.com/randox-returners
Alternatively you can contact Randox PR on 028 9442 2413 or email RandoxPR@randox.com
Randox teams up with top influencers and schools across NI to break barriers with their STEM initiative
Over 50 students from Northern Ireland are gearing up to take part in the first annual ‘STEM Challenge’ hosted at the Randox Science Park. The event, held on International Women in Engineering Day, will round off a week in which the global diagnostics company will unveil a number of initiatives to celebrate and promote women in STEM.
The ‘STEM Challenge’ is aimed at tackling the gender divide and skills gap in the science, technology, engineering and maths industry. On average in the UK women make up just 9% of the engineering workforce. Though Randox is bucking the trend with almost 16% of female engineers, it is still keen to challenge itself to encourage more women to view it as a viable career option.
The week kicks off with the launch of a returnership scheme which is being supported by the NI Chamber of Commerce. This was inspired by the experiences of staff members who returned to work after a career break, and meets a growing demand for a modern approach to recruitment. It will challenge society’s misconceptions surrounding career breaks and support both men and women in restarting their careers. As well as supporting individuals, a UK Government report found that increasing the number of women in work by just five per cent could create £750m extra in tax revenue.
Tackling the gender divide from the opposite end of the career ladder will be the focus at the end of the week. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 from the Belfast Model School for Girls and Victoria College will join R&D scientists and engineers at the new state-of-the-art Randox Science Park for a day of interactive sessions and talks to coincide with International Women in Engineering Day, 23rd June.
Welcoming the students and giving the first talk will be the renowned Máire O’Neill. The Professor of Information Security at Queen’s University Belfast and one-time British Female Inventor of the Year is an inspiring role model and passionate advocate for promoting STEM careers to girls.
The company is also hosting an evening to celebrating local role models in its flagship Randox Health clinic in Holywood. Guests will hear from Dorcas Crawford, senior partner at Edwards & Co., and Johann Muldoon, recently named Best Female Architect in Europe. Both women are recognised for their commitment to equality across industry and their own personal achievements in their fields.
Linda Magee, Global Head of HR for Randox said:
“This promises to be a tremendous week but more than that, it has the potential to have long-lasting benefits. We are pleased to be supported by so many inspiring women as well as the NI Chamber of Commerce.
“Randox is an important employer in the UK and also in Donegal. With our expansion plans comes a need to recruit the very best and brightest people. We hope that our schemes and initiatives will engage young people as well as those who are thinking about returning to work.”
For further information contact Randox PR on 028 9445 1016 or email RandoxPR@randox.com
Randox named in US-Ireland Top 50 Companies at New York New Belfast conference
Global healthcare company Randox, which is headquartered in Co Antrim and has key R&D, engineering and manufacturing facilities in both Co Antrim and Co Donegal, has been named in The US-Ireland Top 50 Companies, to be announced today, Friday 16th June, at the New York/New Belfast conference in Manhattan.
With a focus on the transatlantic operations building bridges between the two countries, the awards celebrate those bringing business in Ireland to global heights in the belief that by doing so they are embedding peace for future generations.
The 50 honourees will be announced at a gala event hosted by the Irish Echo, the USA’s largest and most widely read Irish American weekly paper, at Pier A, Harbor House.
The tenth annual celebration will be addressed by Constance Hunter, Chief Economist of KPMG and Daniel Dromm, NYC City Council member and Chair of the Education Committee, and takes place as part of the two-day conference. This prestigious event highlights the progress and prosperity of both cities, and looks optimistically to the future while celebrating our shared past.
Movie makers, scientists, tech companies and engineers have been among those who have received the plaudit in recent years. They have included the all-conquering production company, HBO; leading law firm A&L Goodbody; pioneers in scientific imaging Andor Technology and the New York Stock Exchange.
This year’s US-Ireland Top 50 has proven to be just as illustrious with Randox Laboratories, Northern Property, Norwegian Airlines, and Bank of Ireland as just some of the companies being recognised for their success.
Editor of the Irish Echo, Ray O’Hanlon, who will host Friday’s event, said the awards were an acknowledgment of the unique bonds between the two nations.
“The unmistakable and unbreakable bonds between Ireland and the United States have proven a key element in Ireland’s progression, both in terms of peace and prosperity. Those bonds grow ever stronger when underpinned by economic growth and business relationships. With the Ireland-US Top 50 we acknowledge those companies whose transatlantic operations support that ongoing development and welcome them to this illustrious list of business beacons.”
Dr. Peter FitzGerald, Founder and Managing Director of Randox Laboratories, commented;
“The US is one of our most important markets and we have been exporting our diagnostic products there since the early 1980s. We have seen substantial success in this market and have secured for example, key clinical chemistry analyser contracts in Ivy League Institutions such as Yale University School of Medicine and Harvard University.
“Our diversification into the veterinary, research, forensic and food safety sectors has enabled our operations in the US to expand further still, and due to this increasing demand for Randox innovations, we are developing a new facility in the Greater Washington DC area.
“It is a tribute to the entire Randox team, both in Co Antrim and Co Donegal, that we have been named as one of the US-Ireland Top 50. We hope to serve as an example to other aspiring businesses that success is possible with a unique product offering, a commitment to investment, and making use of the support network available across the United States.”
For further information about the New York New Belfast Conference contact Randox PR on 028 9445 1016 or email RandoxPR@randox.com
