Registration has opened for 500 free NVQ places within Northern Ireland’s construction industry.
The programme aims to increase the skills base of the industry at a time when the Province’s manufacturing and construction base is being asked to rise to the challenge of the economic times.
With 80% of the last cohort in employment, experts believe there will be great demand for this year’s intake as workers seek to bolster their skill levels.
The Qualifying the Existing Workforce project aims to train 500 currently unqualified, experienced, employed construction workers to NVQ Level 2, helping to “increase productivity and meet the skills challenge of the construction industry”.
The project is a joint initiative by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), CITB-ConstructionSkills NI and the Joint Council for the Building & Civil Engineering Industry.
Employment Minister Stephen Farry said: “Through the Qualifying the Existing Workforce project, we will help up-skill those working in this sector ensuring we have a better skilled workforce which will assist to drive this industry and our economy forward.”
Meanwhile, dozens of teaching and health services jobs are advertised today – as schools and hospitals and other organisations continue their never-ending hunt for the best staff for their organisations.
In the education sector, a range of jobs from principal to classroom assistants and lecturers are advertised inside JobFinder tonight.
The healthcare sector also offers a diverse range of opportunities for qualified people, including nurses, specialist doctors and dieticians.
A key role of Director of Regulation and Nursing has also been advertised. This “challenging” position requires a “high calibre leader and manager”, says the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, which is Northern Ireland’s independent health and social care regulator.