MORE than 700 families will benefit from an initiative designed to provide learning and job search advice.
The Community Family Support Programme will benefit 720 families in areas of greatest need across Northern Ireland, offering employment advice, mentoring and help searching for a job.
Following a successful pilot earlier this year the initiative, from the Department for Employment and Learning’s (DEL) Pathways to Success Strategy, is designed to support parents and prevent younger family members from falling into the Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) category.
The 26-week programme will also offer help with CV writing, interview techniques and presentation skills.
Making the announcement, Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry explained the families involved will receive assistance from qualified support workers to address the health, social, economic, educational, employment and training issues that impact on their daily lives.
Also present at the announcement was Junior minister Jonathan Bell, who commented:
“Delivering Social Change is a new level of joined-up working across Government departments to achieve real, long lasting social benefits for those who need it most.
The Executive recognises that tackling poverty and social exclusion will require a partnership approach. Indeed we are jointly funding this initiative, with DEL contributing £2m of funding towards this programme, with a further £2m coming from the Delivering Social Change central fund.”
Meanwhile, leading figures in Northern Ireland’s £860m hospitality industry have been inspiring students at Ulster Business School during the first fYOUture conference at the Belfast campus of the University of Ulster.
The event was organised by second year international hospitality management students and sponsored by their Hospitality Events and Tourism Society (HEAT Society), based at the city centre campus.
Speakers included Susie McCullough, Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s director of business support and events, who talked about the developing events industry in Northern Ireland, and Roisin McKee, director of People 1st, who gave advice on graduate employment opportunities locally and internationally.
The hospitality sector, recognised as a priority sector in the economic strategy for Northern Ireland, contributes £860m to the economy here annually.
Nikki McQuillan, event management module lecturer in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism at Ulster Business School, said:
“Our students have organised this conference themselves, taking charge of everything from negotiating sponsorship, marketing and co-ordination of speakers and management of the day.”