Belfast Region City Deal partners are putting apprenticeships in the spotlight

March 11, 2021

Belfast Region City Deal partners are putting apprenticeships in the spotlight as part of their focus on how employability and skills will underpin their plan for jobs through ambitious city deal investment.

Funded by the Department for the Economy’s Apprenticeship Challenge Fund, the city deal partners are delivering a series of insight webinars for employers to discover more about apprenticeships in their sector and share their views on how the current apprenticeship system could be enhanced.

Chairman of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s Development Committee, Alderman Jim Dillon, MBE, explains: “The upcoming webinars are part of a wider project looking at apprenticeships in the context of Belfast Region City Deal investments and the employment opportunities presented.  There has never been a better time to look to apprenticeships as a career pathway and likewise for businesses to look at introducing apprenticeships into their business to add real value.

“The Belfast Region City Deal project team, working under the Department for the Economy’s Apprenticeship Challenge Fund, is fully embracing the opportunity to promote apprenticeships within the identified key growth sectors and shape the landscape to ensure the best results for our region’s economy. Engaging directly with employers through these upcoming webinars is a great opportunity to highlight the work of the team to date and a chance to let employers know of the support that is out there, including funding.

“First up we have the webinar for Manufacturing on Thursday 25th March.  Right across Lisburn and Castlereagh we have a strong manufacturing sector and would invite local manufacturing businesses to register for the event to find out more.”

The webinars are scheduled as follows:

Manufacturing: Thursday 25 March at 9:30am
Life and Health Sciences: Wednesday 28 April at 10am
Public Sector: Tuesday 11 May at 10am
Professional and Business Services: Tuesday 1 June at 10am
Digital: Tuesday 15 June at 10am

Commenting on the webinars, Diane Dodds, Minister for the Economy, said, “We want the Apprenticeship Challenge Fund projects to help identify innovative approaches to apprenticeships and identify and address any potential barriers to uptake.  This series of webinars is a great opportunity to highlight apprenticeships as a career opportunity and also to showcase the benefits an apprenticeship can bring to the employer and the individual. I am pleased that my Department is funding this activity under the Apprenticeship Challenge Fund and I wish the Belfast Regional City Deal partners every success.” 

To register, go to www.belfastcity.gov.uk/events and find out more about the Belfast Region City Deal programme of investment at www.belfastcity.gov.uk/belfastregioncitydeal