Building a better future for young people who are not yet in education or employment is a key Stormont priority, says Employment minister Stephen Farry.
The minister was speaking at an event where he presented certificates of achievement to young unemployed people who have completed the Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre Youth Initiative Scheme.
The eight week project, initiated by the Concensus Initiative of the Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre in partnership with the Rosemount Resource Centre, Londonderry, aims to assist unemployed young people aged 16-24 with support to overcome barriers training, further education and employment.
Mr Farry said: “I am determined to help create a better future for young people who are not in education, employment or training, and to take forward my Department’s Pathways to Success strategy which focuses on the issue of those young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
“Initiatives such as this provide support, development and timely intervention to successfully help the participants overcome significant and often perceived insurmountable barriers which can prevent them taking up opportunities in learning and employment.
Joe Bowers, chair of Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre, said: “Many of the unemployed participants are now progressing into training and employment and using their experiences to encourage younger people growing up in their communities into more productive activity.”