Perth and Kinross Councillor Ian Taylor wins endeavor award

Nov 13 2009 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

PERTH and Kinross Council employees gathered in the Salutation Hotel, Perth, yesterday for the presentation of the annual David White Award for Council employee achievement and endeavour.

The event also recognised Council employees’ efforts. Certificates were presented to 89 Perth and Kinross Council employees who have undertaken a range of courses to enhance their skills and experience through the Council’s Learning and Development section.

Councillor John Flynn presented the David White Award, established in memory of Councillor David White and presented each year to a Council employee for their efforts in self-development through training. Council Services are asked to nominate an employee whom they feel is deserving of this recognition.

This year, the panel, comprising Provost John Hulbert, Councillor Flynn, chief executive Bernadette Malone and head of human resources Hugh Mackenzie, had an extremely difficult decision to make due to the quality of the nominations. As a result of their deliberations, the panel selected both a runner-up and a winner.

The runner-up prize was awarded to David McPhee. After joining Tayside Regional Council’s Social Work Department in 1993, David was appointed senior admin assistant at Perth and Kinross Council in April 1996. He is now the commissioning and contracting officer in Housing and Community Care.

The winner of this year’s David White Award for Training and Achievement is Ian Taylor. Ian began working for the Council in Building Services in 1997 at the age of 16, as an apprentice painter. In July 2007, he was transferred from his job as a time-served painter to cover the post of planned maintenance clerk of works.

He was then promoted to the post of property inspector with the Council’s Planned Maintenance Programme, where he was required to carry out a full range of contractual duties including procurement, estimates and project management. He has shown great interest and determination in developing the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the post’s requirements and has also already undertaken the first year of the HNC in Construction Management.

Ian, who was presented with a certificate and vouchers, will be this year’s holder of the David White engraved quaich.

Councillor Flynn said: “Ian is a great example of what can be achieved within the Council and his hard work and determination to succeed are a credit to him and Housing and Community Care. The judging panel had a very hard task in choosing the winner as the standard of nominations was extremely high.”

Before the awards were presented, Ms Malone paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of Perth and Kinross Council staff, adding: “I would like to congratulate the employees here today who have made a commitment to developing their careers and successfully completed training that will not only benefit them, but also the Council and the citizens we serve on a daily basis.”

The employees receiving certificates have variously undertaken the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL), Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) and Modern Apprenticeships (MAs).

Award recipients were:

ILM Award Level 3 in First Line Management: Kate Sutherland, Bonnie MacGregor, Suzanne McLeod, Sheila Best, William Mahoney, Gillian Walker, Fiona Scott, Graham Ramsay.

SVQ Level 2 in Business and Administration: Chris Hunter, Samantha Arnott, Louise Orr, Rachel Winton, Amy Paterson, Daniel Reid, Joy Fenton, Isla McPhee, Abby Munro, Rachel Fagan, Roanna Lawson, Kathryn McAllister, Samantha Black.

Business and Administration Modern Apprenticeship: Katharine Shepherd, Carolyn Noble, Kirsty Cilke, Lauren McLellan, Maria Murphy, Kirsty Duncan, Lynn Rettie, Karen Graham, Eleanor Paton.

Level 3 Customer Service: Lisa Smith, Steven Robb, Susan Reid, Elizabeth Fowler, Lisa Reekie,Melanie Lee, Kenny Whyte.

Customer Service Modern Apprenticeship: David Clarke, Suzanne Crowe, Kirsty Donaldson.

ECDL Essentials: Megan Somerville, Lianne Lorimer, Kenneth Honeyman, Vivien Stewart, Nicole Davie, Abby Munro, Emma Jane Gardiner, John Paterson, James Black, Samantha Black, Aaron Magee, Martin Todd, Sarah McFadzean, Kirsty Cilke, Kara Campbell, Amy Paterson, Una Powell, Alison Hannah, Samantha Arnott, Paul Anderson, Rachel Fagan, Moira Dewar, Rachael Cowan, Muriel Muirhead, James Thomson, Michael Connelly, Lucinda Kane, Sharon Nicoll, George Rintoul.

ECDL: Yvette Johnson, Karen Graham, Lucy Drew, Claire Gray, Lorna Webster, Carolann McKay-Stephen, Roanna Lawson, Karen Farmer, Colin Morrison, Fiona McConnell, Hamish Donaldson, Sylvia Stevens, Daniel Reid, Karyn Marmion, Kathryn McAllister, Jillian Craig, Kenny Whyte, Mandy Law, Kate Carswell, Rachel MacLeod, Struan Clark, Derek Kerr, Joanne Layland.

E-Type Qualification (Bronze): Megan Somerville.

E-Type Qualification (Silver): Lindsay Black, Kim Smith, Claire Gray.

Diploma in Learning and Development: David Grant, Julia Brown, Andy Worner, Kirsty Goodwin, Claire McCarthy, John Cassidy.