Upholding Tradition Of Old Fashioned Skills
A unique training programme will help secure the future of Northern Ireland disappearing heritage craft skills. Thanks to the success of the initial Sustaining Traditional Building Skills in Northern Ireland project funding has been secured for another in 2013, with places for a further 10 craftspeople. CITB-ConstructionSkills NI developed the Sustaining Traditional Building Skills in...
Building For A Successful Career
A GROUP of young people has restored a derelict house in west Belfast to achieve NVQ Level 2. Over 70 construction skills apprentices restored the 110-year-old house at 220 Springfield Road. Springvale Learning developed Project 220 after it bought the house for trainees to work on, and in the process learn building skills and gain...
Apprenticeship Route Is ‘As Tough As A-Levels’
Apprenticeships can be as challenging as multiple A-levels, the assistant chief executive of Belfast Metropolitcan College has said. Justin Edwards, also director of curriculum at BMC, spoke after it emerged that Northern Ireland’s youth unemployment climbed to 22.3% during April to June this year. Mr Edwards said apprenticeship qualifications were “robust and challenging, often equating...
100 Jobs Campaign Beats Target
A BELFAST Telegraph campaign to encourage firms to take on apprentices has reached its target. 100 jobs in 100 days ran from May 29 to September 5, and in that time secured pledges from 26 companies to take on 108 apprentices. Employment Minister Dr Stephen Farry, whose department has responsibility for apprenticeships, congratulated the newspaper...
Seven to pit skills against the best of the rest
Northern Ireland apprentices will know next month if they have secured places in the UK Squad for the next WorldSkills competition in Leipzig, Germany, 2013. Seven local young people are already through to the biggest international skills competition in the world. The local representatives so far are: Mark Woods, South West College, wall and floor...
Seven to pit skills against the best of the rest
Northern Ireland apprentices will know next month if they have secured places in the UK Squad for the next WorldSkills competition in Leipzig, Germany, 2013. Seven local young people are already through to the biggest international skills competition in the world. The local representatives so far are: Mark Woods, South West College, wall and floor...
New scheme offers 30 people a chance to get on ICT career ladder
A new ICT apprenticeship scheme will offer opportunities for 30 people in software development and IT infrastructure roles in both the public and private sector. The scheme, involving government and a number of local ICT employers, was launched recently by Employment and Learning Minister, Dr. Stephen Farry and Finance and Personnel Minister, Sammy Wilson. Mr...
I want to be an apprentice: what should I do?
Apprenticeships are a great way to kick-start your career and the apprenticeship model of on-the-job training can be applied to a different types of jobs, from hairdressing to IT and plumbing. Northern Ireland’s range of six regional colleges offer a wide range of courses for apprentices, which are combined with on-the-job training. But there...
No better time for job schemes
The Belfast Telegraph are to be congratulated on the excellent initiative to promote apprenticeships in Northern Ireland through their ‘100 jobs in 100 days’ campaign. It has created a platform for businesses – from all parts of the economy – to highlight the value of apprentices. Yet the reality is that Northern Ireland does...
Apprenticeship schemes vital in fight against youth unemployment
Apprenticeships are essentially subsidised on-the-job training in a professional work environment. As youth unemployment levels ballooned in recent years, governments in many countries, including the UK, have looked to the apprenticeship model as one method of keeping young people connected to the labour market. Apprenticeship schemes can provide employers with a healthy stream of...