A NEW curriculum at Belfast Metropolitan College is boosting student numbers and reaping benefits for local businesses, it was claimed today.
With forecasts suggesting 2,000 new IT jobs annually over the next 10 years for Northern Ireland, Belfast Met — in conjunction with industry and organisations such as Momentum, eSkills and Digital Circle — says it is ensuring that workforces meet employer demands.
The growing need for software skills to support NI’s burgeoning ICT sector has prompted Belfast Met to be at the forefront with a new curriculum which is already paying dividends for local businesses.
Coupled with a recent £60m investment in cutting edge facilities and resources at the Titanic Quarter Campus and e3 building, Belfast Met is well equipped to support the sector in the challenge of recruiting enough people to capitalise on opportunities for growth.
Justin Edwards, assistant chief executive and director of curriculum, said: “The college has responded to the skills gap in the software industry and as a result people are finding employment and have confidence in committing to a fulfilling career in ICT.
“We recently embarked on a public/private ICT apprenticeship pilot programme on behalf of the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL).
This has seen 32 individuals recruited as apprentices.
“New training initiatives such as the Data Analytics Training Academy for Deloitte and the Kainos Summer Code Camp at e3 are complementary to the college’s core offering of further education, higher education and professional courses.”
In 2012, with support from industry partners, Belfast Met also set up Coder Dojo, a Saturday club for young people from as young as five to learn how to write computer code.