Economy Minister Dr has unveiled a new
Skills Action Plan that sets out how her Department will work in
partnership to build the local skills base and deliver a
sustainable, prosperous economy.
Speaking at the NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Future
Workforce Summit this morning, the Minister said: “Our
economy is changing rapidly, with new industries emerging and
leading the way with innovative technologies, and this is driving
the demand for more highly-skilled workers.
“Last year, we set out a clear Economic Vision with four
priorities – increasing the number of good jobs, raising
productivity, decarbonising our economy, and striving for
regional balance – all underpinned by skills
development.”
The Minister added: “Much has been achieved to date to
enhance our skills base, such as implementing a plan to expand
Magee campus to 10,000 students; focussing skills support at our
seven high-potential sectors; and establishing a Skills Fund for
programmes such as the SME Productivity Booster, Skill Up, and
the Apprenticeship Inclusion Challenge Fund.”
The Action Plan focuses on three key themes: collaborating with
our industry and education partners to develop new ways of
working; improving the skills systems by building on the success
of our institutions, interventions and programmes; and creating
an inclusive, forward-looking skills ecosystem that empowers
individuals and supports economic transformation.
The Minister highlighted some of the points in the three-year
Skills Action Plan which will drive the skills agenda. They
included:
- Improving skills provision to support the needs of the
childcare sector, developing new courses and curriculum to ensure
there is a pathway for new entrants into this important sector.
- Enhancing skills provision for young people with special
educational needs who often face a cliff edge in support.
- Driving work on a Further Education Reform Programme that
will see collaboration with the colleges to sharpen their
contribution to the skills ecosystem.
- A commitment to a Review of Higher Education Funding.
- Implementing the skills outworkings of the Lyons Review of
Invest NI.
- Extending eligibility for our post-graduate research support
for fully-funded PhD studentships, to include residents from the
south of Ireland.
- Commissioning research on Irish-Medium accreditation and
learner support systems to identify barriers and potential
solutions.
- Collaborating on an all-island basis to reduce barriers to
student mobility, as well as exploring Shared Island Funding for
collaborative work in apprenticeships.
The Minister concluded: “This new Skills Action Plan
is a distinct, forward-looking framework that will deliver on my
Economic Vision and the Programme for Government, through
targeted actions that reflect current and future economic
needs.”
1. The plan can be viewed in full here: www.economy-ni.gov.uk/publications/skills-action-plan
