THIS November will mark the debut of a new skills and careers event.
Skills Northern Ireland, organised by Prospects Events with sponsorship from NIE Networks and supported by Ulster University, has been designed to bring careers to the young people of Northern Ireland and their families in a way they may never have experienced before.
Interactive and informative, Skills Northern Ireland will provide access to top employers with apprenticeships and vacancies, careers activities and demonstrations, advice from experts and further/higher education opportunities all under one roof. Present across the two days will be exhibitors from colleges, universities and various industries, including: Energy & Research, Healthcare, Aviation, Hospitality & Catering, Engineering, the Arts and many others.
Created to encourage, inspire and educate young people about the career options and choices available to them Skills Northern Ireland is also seeking to help challenge gender stereotypes in the workplace and broaden horizons.
Taking place at the Titanic Exhibitor Centre, Belfast on November 8 and 9 from 9.30am – 3pm and in the evening of November 8 from 5pm – 7pm, a flypast from the Royal Air Force will celebrate the opening day of the free event.
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the event’s various features, including; the Showcase Stage that will host demonstrations from makeup artist Paddy McGurgan and Get Skilled stands offering activities in robotics, computing, automotive, theatrical make-up, IT, product design and much more.
Also present will be the Skills Showcase, sponsored by Belfast Metropolitan College,an area within an inflatable dome displaying the incredible works of those who have produced creations for work or training.
The stands will not only allow attendees to meet employers face-to-face, but also to try out different activities relating to their field of work. This will allow young people to explore careers in a much more hands-on way, enabling them to visualise themselves working in that industry.
The huge variety of learning experiences on offer include challenging yourself on the British Army’s climbing wall and meeting the animals at the Belfast City Council’s stand. The NIE Net-works’ DeLorean car will be making an appearance at the event and visitors will also be able to view current job, work experience and apprenticeship vacancies featured on the Live Opportunities Board, sponsored by the Belfast Telegraph and Nijobfinder.