Adults of all ages are being urged to enrich their lives through learning.
Speaking during Adult Learners’ Week, the Employment and Learning Minister, Stephen Farry, called on adults to take full advantage of his Department’s free Essential Skills courses and the services of the Careers Service as a way to open up new opportunities, whether at work or in everyday life.
Adult Learners’ Week runs from May 18-24 and is a national celebration of the benefits of lifelong learning. It is the perfect opportunity to explore the many types of learning available to adults from all walks of life.
Highlighting the importance of the free Essential Skills training, Minister Farry said: “My Department provides free Essential Skills courses in literacy, numeracy and ICT. To date, over 96,000 people in Northern Ireland have achieved almost 180,000 qualifications, helping them to gain the skills and confidence they need to progress in their careers and achieve their full potential.
“Skills are a crucial element in rebuilding and rebalancing our economy and, if Northern Ireland is to compete in a global economic arena, there must be a concerted, joined up effort to drive up skills on all fronts, including the essential skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT.”
The Department for Employment and Learning’s Careers Service is an all age guidance service that provides free impartial careers information, advice and guidance to everyone.
The Minister continued: “Careers guidance is often viewed as relevant only to young people. However it is equally valuable to everyone, including those in work, who are considering further education or training or a change in career direction. In order to cope with the future needs of the economy, we must ensure that effective careers services are accessible to everybody. I would again urge anyone, particularly during Adult Learners Week, seeking careers information, advice or guidance to contact their local Careers Resource Centre, JobCentre or Jobs & Benefits Office.”
To find out more about Essential Skills courses in your area, contact your local college or visit www.nidirect.gov.uk/knowhow.
Meanwhile, Minister Farry has welcomed the publication of two Labour Relations Agency (LRA) surveys assessing the services it provides for resolving disputes at work.
The LRA is an independent body with responsibility for promoting the improvement of employment relations in Northern Ireland.
Commenting on the findings of the surveys, the Minister said: “This work is a welcome contribution to our understanding of the value of resolving workplace disputes at an early stage, before personal and financial costs escalate.
“The mediation survey shows that two thirds of participants felt that mediation had either completely or partly resolved the issue and of these 70% were satisfied with the outcome reached. In relation to collective conciliation, approximately four fifths of cases were resolved, with users reporting a high overall satisfaction with the service and the outcome. Using the service avoided strikes or stoppages in around 43% of cases, resulting in significant savings in lost days and financial resource.”
He concluded: “I am committed to an employment relations culture that supports effective and proportionate resolution of disputes.”