Businesses Urged To Discover Benefits Of Apprenticeships

NI Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry recently addressed local businesses on the new Northern Ireland Strategy on Apprenticeships and the benefits that apprenticeships can bring.

Speaking at an event organised by the Northern Ireland Assembly and Business Trust at Stormont,Minister Farry commented:
“Apprenticeships provide an excellent means by which employers can obtain the skills they require, as well as being assured that across the economy there is a critical mass of people with strong technical and good employability skills. For our new model to be successful, it is essential that employers in particular continue to play a central role in the development and delivery of the new system.”
The Minister challenged businesses to consider the merits of employing an apprentice in helping to address skills gaps, recognising that apprenticeships benefit employers of all sizes,including small and micro businesses which form the vast majority of the Northern Ireland economy.

The Minister continued: “My Department is piloting higher level apprenticeships across a number of sectors with the aim of testing their effectiveness to meet the specific skills needs of local employers. A number of pilot projects are currently in progress,employing 130 higher level apprentices across 46 companies,with initial positive feedback from both apprentices and employers.”Michael O’Neill, Engineering Manager of Terex in Dungannon,which employs five higher level engineering apprentices,presented a view from an employer perspective. “As an employer, I recognise the benefits that apprenticeships bring to business in the better matching of supply and demand for skills.
Apprenticeships can help to ensure that employers are provided with the skills needed to grow their business and improve competitiveness. We need a renewed focus on apprenticeships,particularly at higher levels, as a mechanism to improve and encourage skills development,innovation and economic growth.”