The current apprenticeship model has served well but is limited and needs to be transformed.
That was the message from Employment and Learning Minister, Stephen Farry, this week as he outlined a blueprint for the future of apprenticeships in Northern Ireland.
Addressing the Assembly during an oral statement, the minister detailed 32 proposals contained within his department’s Review of Apprenticeships Interim Report and officially launched a 12-week consultation on the future of apprenticeship training and provision in Northern Ireland.
The minister said: “This review of apprenticeships has the potential to radically reform and improve the training and skills landscape in Northern Ireland, and is a top priority for my Department.
It is my job to ensure that we have a pipeline of appropriately skilled people, so that our economy can operate at maximum efficiency.
“While the current apprenticeship model has served us well, it is limited in a number of ways and needs to be transformed.
The proposed new apprenticeship system for Northern Ireland will deliver highly skilled apprentices in areas of economic importance, for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
Apprenticeships will be highly sought after by young people and employers, and recognised as a key route into many professional and technical occupations.”
Key proposals contained within the consultation included a call for the apprenticeship to be designed to enable individuals to progress into higher professional or technical training or on to a higher academic pathway including to higher level apprenticeships and to further and higher education.
It also proposes that applications for apprenticeship places should be supported via a UCAS style portal, to inform young people of the range of opportunities available.
The consultation also calls for apprenticeship training to beyond the specific needs of a particular job through on and off the job training.
Meanwhile, there is still time for nurses and healthcare workers to take advantage of a new employment initiative.
In an effort to increase industry standards and encourage further career development within the healthcare sector, Lucas Love Healthcare is hosting a series of open days which will run at their Belfast office every Monday and Thursday until January 30.
Designed to encourage nurses, healthcare assistants and support workers to explore career possibilities within their industry, the open days will offer expert career advice, CV writing and interview skills.
Lucas Love, director, and registered nurse manager, Sinead Polland said: “By hosting these open days, we hope to encourage an increase in industry standards and share with healthcare professionals the opportunities available to them in the Northern Ireland healthcare sector.”