Holywood student Alana Harty will soon be jetting off to study business at a college in the USA.

Alana (20), who is currently studying law at Queen’s University Belfast, is heading to Rosemount College, Pennsylvania, after being selected to take part in British Council’s prestigious Study USA programme.

She will be joined by 54 other students from across Northern Ireland on the scholarship programme, which enables students to study business and management for a year in American colleges, across 34 States. Through the initiative, it is hoped they will gain valuable international experience and business knowledge, helping to develop their career prospects when they return to Northern Ireland.

The British Council, which is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, manages Study USA on behalf of the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL).

Since its formation in 1994, the initiative has sent over 1800 students from Northern Ireland to all four corners of the United States where they have successfully completed a year studying business at one of 140 institutions. Last year the programme celebrated its 20th anniversary at Titanic Belfast, with graduates, alumni and employers all gathering to mark its success.

Speaking about the programme, David Alderdice, Director of British Council Northern Ireland, said: “Study USA is a great way for local students to boost their core employability skills and gain invaluable experience working in an international setting.

“While in the US, the students will have the opportunity to learn from leading experts in their field and their future employability will be enhanced through internships, Ambassadorial presentations, and volunteer work in a really international context. Most importantly, our students will build links with counterparts in the United States that will last a lifetime.

“We know that this year’s students will be great ambassadors for Northern Ireland and I wish them every success in the year ahead.”

Study USA is just one of many international opportunities available through British Council Northern Ireland. For more information visit http://nireland.britishcouncil.org, email opportunity@britishcouncil.org or follow on Twitter: BCouncil_NI.

From left: Sam George (Ballygowan), Margaret Savage (Kircubbin), Emer Gilmore (Kircubbin), Alana Harty (Holywood) and Peter Nesbitt have been selected to take part in the British Council’s prestigious Study USA programme, where they will spend a year studying business in the USA.