DEPARTMENT FOR THE ECONOMY MINISTER LYONS LAUNCHES NEW SKILLS STRATEGY FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

Investing in the skills and talent of our workforce will help unlock economic prosperity for everyone in our society, Northern ireland’s Economy Minister Gordon Lyons said today.

https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/news/lyons-launches-new-skills-strategy-northern-ireland#:

The Minister was speaking at Belfast Met’s Titanic Quarter campus as he launched ‘Skills for a 10X Economy’, the Department for the Economy’s strategy to support more people to improve their job prospects and fulfil their economic potential.

The Skills Strategy, is a key pillar of the Department’s wider 10X Economic Vision for Northern Ireland and sets out plans to focus on innovation by increasing further education qualifications in technical and professional skills and rebalancing higher education towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

The Minister said:

As we look to accelerate the economic recovery, our vision is to make Northern Ireland one of the world’s elite small economies. The skills of our workforce are central to achieving this goal.

“Our local workforce is already talented, but it is important that we capitalise and build on that foundation. Access to skills and talent is the number one issue for business right across all sectors of our economy.

“For every step up the skills ladder an individual takes, the greater the potential reward. People with degrees on average earn over 50% more than those with low-level qualifications. By investing in our skills and talent, we will create more and better job opportunities with greater earning potential for everyone.

“In turn, this will lead to better individual wellbeing and a better society for everyone.”

“‘Skills for a 10X Economy’ sets out how we will deliver substantial growth in qualifications in technical and professional skills through our further education colleges.

“In parallel, we will seek to rebalance graduate and postgraduate qualifications in higher education. We want to focus on STEM subjects that are so critical in providing people with the skills they will require for the jobs of the future.

“The strategy will also tackle inequality by supporting people with low or no qualifications to overcome barriers to employment and making the most of their capabilities. This is of utmost importance with 13% of our working age population holding no qualifications – nearly double the UK average.”