Donegal woman Joanne McKenna has been awarded a Medal for Excellence from the City and Guilds for her outstanding achievements in IT studies.

Joanne McKenna from Glenfinn has received global recognition for her achievements in completing the Software Tester Application programme run by Donegal ETB’s Training Centre in Ballyraine, Letterkenny.

Joanne has recently been awarded a 2015-2016 City and Guilds Medal for Excellence which recognises the achievements of learners, lecturers and trainers who have achieved great results by producing exceptional work, going above and beyond what is expected to achieve their results. It recognises not only excellent results but also those who show a true journey of progression throughout their qualification. It is a global programme that has now been running for over one hundred years.

Joanne only recently leapt from the Big Apple to the ‘Cloud’ after spending 17 years managing restaurants in New York before returning home to Donegal two years ago.

Joanne came to the course with no former knowledge of software programming or testing and her lead tutor, Paul Heron, recognising her excellence in her approach to learning and the application of this learning in the testing environment, put her forward for the award.

Special Award to Joanne McKenna

City and Guilds has some two million learners worldwide taking their programmes every year; out of these two million they award 87 medals each year and Joanne was only one of three people in Ireland to receive it for 2015-2016.

As a Medal for Excellence winner Joanne is in the top 0.004% of City and Guilds learners worldwide which is an outstanding achievement.

Joanne is currently employed as a software tester and support with Firecloud 365 in the Co-Lab in LYIT. FireCloud365 offers a cloud-based system for the management of statutory fire safety checks, vendor management and preventive maintenance.

A special presentation was made to Joanne at Donegal ETB’s Annual Awards on 28 April in recognition of her achievement.

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