22 Middle East Entrants Recognized At The 2019 International BTEC Awards

Pearson today announced the Middle East winners of its 9^th annual BTEC awards which recognize and reward inspirational students, as well as teachers and tutors whose dedication and passion continue to mold career professionals of the future.

Spanning across 21 categories, the BTEC Awards showcase the exceptional BTEC learners and teachers that have been nominated to win a Gold, Silver or Bronze BTEC Award. More than 570 nominations were received across all categories from entrants across the globe, of those 41 nominations were received from the Middle East, with 22 winning either Bronze, Silver or Gold Awards.

Speaking on the occasion, Özhan Toktas, Managing Director, Pearson Middle East said, “We are delighted to celebrate outstanding BTEC students, teachers, colleges, schools and training providers from around the world, including the UAE, where we received the highest number of non-UK entries. This is a fantastic credential for the Middle East as a whole, and reflects the growing popularity of BTEC qualifications in the region. Our goal is that BTEC qualifications will equip our award winners with both the comprehensive theoretical knowledge and real-world practical skills that are so essential for the workplace.”

Accepted in over 200 universities worldwide, BTEC is a highly regarded, career-focused qualification, studied in over 60 countries.

The full list of Middle East winners is as below:

• ‘BTEC Teacher of the Year’

Gold Winner – Shalini Rajan –The Winchester School, UAE 

• ‘BTEC Teacher of the Year’

Silver Winner – Joe Corcoran – Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS Dubai), UAE 

• ‘BTEC Art and Design Student of the Year’    

Silver Winner – Kate Williams-Parry – Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS Dubai) 

• ‘BTEC Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Student of the Year’ 

Silver Winner – Laman Gasimovoa – Dubai English Speaking College (DESC), UAE 

• ‘BTEC IT and Computing Student of the Year’

Silver Winner – Bayan Al Saghier – ABC Horizon, Turkey 

• Bronze Winners:

ABC Horizon, Turkey (3 Awards)

Cambridge International School, UAE (2 Awards)

Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS Dubai), UAE (1 Award)

Repton School, UAE (1 Award)

Ted Atakent College, Turkey (2 Awards)

Ted Izmir College, Turkey (2 Awards)

The Sheffield Private School, UAE (4 Awards)

The Winchester School, UAE (2 Awards)

Shalini Rajan, BTEC Teacher of the Year 2019, said, “Winning the BTEC Teacher of the Year award 2019 has really inspired me and I feel empowered and equipped to make positive changes in the classroom. It has always been my passion to encourage life-long learning and to help students achieve their best beyond the classroom. I’ve been able to do this through BTEC. Being recognised with this prestigious award is a truly humbling and unique feeling.”

“It is extremely rewarding to see JESS Dubai’s first cohort of BTEC students, our graduating class of 2019, set the benchmark for success in BTEC qualifications across the region,” commented Joe Corcoran, BTEC co-ordinator at JESS Dubai and Chairperson of the UAE BTEC in Schools Association, referring to students Kate and Murray’s success in winning Bronze and Silver awards.

Matthew Davies, Director of Vocational Education at DESC said, “We’re delighted that Laman has received this prestigious award! This award is an affirmation of the positive mindset and work ethic that has led her to be so successful on this course. We hope that she is equally successful in her future as she applies the practical skills that she has developed from the BTEC Level 3 course in the real world.” 

The ceremony was attended by the winners, their families and teachers as well as leading stakeholders from the education and business worlds. An expert panel of judges carefully considered each nominee before deciding upon a winner.

Pearson has been delivering BTEC qualifications worldwide since 1984. They are highly practical and developed in consultation with employers and universities to prepare students for further education or work. These qualifications can open doors into rewarding careers or to a university degree. A recent study revealed that 90% of BTEC students are employed full-time after graduating.

In the UAE, BTEC qualifications are available in sectors including applied science, art and design, business, childcare, construction, engineering, media, health and social care, hospitality, ICT, performing arts, public services, sport, travel and tourism.