THE provision of 50 new civil engineering apprenticeships will help participants gain invaluable industry experience.
The apprenticeships, through the Work + programme in association with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), are currently offered by 24 employers and will enable apprentices to earn as they learn from the age of 16, while gaining hands on experience and providing a direct progression pathway to higher levels of professional and technical work.
All six of Northern Ireland’s FE colleges are taking part in the programme and apprentices will attend college on a day release basis for two years, while working full-time for their employer.
Announcing the new scheme Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said: “Creating high quality jobs that focus on the skills needed to grow and increase the competitiveness of our economy is a key priority for me.
“These new apprenticeships support the findings of the Northern Ireland Skills Barometer report, which identified civil engineering as a growing sector which will have high demand, in the top 25 sectors, for leavers with intermediate to higher level qualifications, over the next 10 years.”