'You're our heroes, stay safe, thank you,' Carlow students' tribute to frontline workers
Well done!
Borris Vocational School - as a finalist in the national Generation Apprenticeship Schools competition - have been honouring businesses who are stepping up to keep our community safe.
Organised by SOLAS, the competition asked entrants to build an A letter (based on the Generation Apprenticeship brand) from materials supplied that were previously destined for landfill.
Ciarán Hanafin, speaking on behalf of the TY architecture module of Borris Vocational School, said: "Our students wanted to recognise the contribution of all retail workers who have remained open with their ‘A’ grade.
"These people are keeping our food chain and medical chain open for all of us during this war against Covid-19.
"They get up every morning and risk themselves and their families so we can all stay healthy and survive, we would especially like to recognise those in our own community, our local CENTRA and MACE stores, our local pharmacies and our local service stations.
"You're our heroes, stay safe, thank you."
"The competition is in its final stages and we have finalists who have created brilliant work," said Andrew Brownlee, Chief Executive of SOLAS.
"Students were asked how they could combine future careers and their role in society with a commitment to green values and sustainable futures.
"We were due to have an awards ceremony at the end of last month but like many other events it was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak."
As a way of keeping students engaged and motivated in their wider studies the competition promoters invited the finalists to think about how their competition entries - which are in the form of 3D letter A installations - could be used to celebrate what the people of this country are doing to keep each other safe and to reach out to the many stress lines that have emerged as a consequence.
"In a way we are asking them to ‘mark the homework’ and to choose unsung professions around the country who they think deserve an A grade.
"There are huge sacrifices being made, by our health workers, and in different and important ways by many others, some of whom find themselves facing economic uncertainty but who are still providing valuable societal support.
"Each one makes up an important part of our defence lines in this fight against the coronavirus."
Staying apart is necessary but these inspirational choices show why we are never far from someone who will support us.
The finalists have all inputed into short videos to explain their A grade choices.
They can be accessed at www.gacomp.ie/localheroes