A RECENT ministerial trip to Switzerland could provide inspiration for the future of apprenticeships and youth training in Northern Ireland.
The purpose of the two-day skills study visit, linked to the recently announced review into apprenticeships in Northern Ireland, was to examine Swiss best practice, policies and initiatives in vocational and youth training programmes.
During the visit the Employment and Learning Minister, Stephen Farry met with senior representatives from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, University of Berne and the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training.
Speaking ahead of the trip the minister said: “This visit will allow us to explore initiatives and programmes being taken forward in Switzerland which could be applied to Northern Ireland to ensure that apprenticeships and youth training programmes provide local employers with an appropriately skilled workforce to grow our economy.
“Vocational education and training provides two-thirds of young people in Switzerland with a solid foundation in economically relevant jobs. Their programmes closely match the needs of the labour market, both in terms of occupational skills and the number of jobs available. This close correlation with the labour market is one of the reasons why Switzerland has one of the lowest youth unemployment rates among European countries. Their model is also exemplar in instilling the importance of life-long learning through the Further and Higher Education network.”
During his time in Switzerland the minister also held meetings with telecommunications company, Swisscorn Limited, to learn about their collaborative ICT and engineering apprenticeship model.
Dr Farry concluded: “The Swiss apprenticeship model is employer-driven and flexible, with the provision of apprenticeship places directly linked to economic conditions. I therefore want to ensure that the needs of both employers and individuals are central to the future apprenticeship programme in Northern Ireland.”
A final report and its findings into the review of apprenticeships and youth training is expected from the department in late autumn.
Meanwhile, the expansion of a global consultancy group is to create 30 new jobs in Belfast. Pharmalink Consulting Operations Limited provides consultancy and regulatory affairs services for a range of health care industries.
The company, with the support of Invest NI, will be targeting Life Sciences graduates from Northern Ireland’s universities in their campaign to recruit regulatory affairs consultants over the next three years.