To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning how he is encouraging entrepreneurialism among young females in (i) further; and (ii) higher education.

Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset amongst all learners across our education system is a key part of supporting the growth of our economy, and consequently my Department has undertaken a range of work to develop this important area.

Developing teaching staff in order to consequently help support the growth of entrepreneurialism in their learners is a main priority. In further education, research undertaken jointly by Fingerprint Learning Ltd and Stranmillis University College into learning preferences in 2010/11 indicated that entrepreneurs tend to have distinctive learning styles. The research was subsequently built into the Certificate in Teaching (CIT) for tutors in the training sector in 2014/15, with the result that all newly qualified tutors will benefit from this approach. The research results have also been incorporated into teacher training courses, including the CIT, for lecturers in further education from September 2015.

This approach will be developed further through the delivery of policy commitment 9 in the new Further Education Strategy Further Education Means Success: “Developing Employability and Enterprise Skills”. Through their teaching strategies and approaches, colleges will seek to develop enterprising learners, who are innovative and creative, and are able to adapt to change.

In higher education, my Department’s Higher Education Strategy, Graduating to Success, recognises the need to rebalance the profile of course provision so that it more closely reflects the needs of the economy. Curriculum and course content are the responsibility of individual institutions, and they work with a range of employers, through formal groups, to support the development of graduates with the skills needed in our economy, including the attitudes and behaviours that underpin an entrepreneurial approach. We have also worked with the higher education sector to encourage more female enrolments in economically key STEM disciplines, which traditionally enrol a higher proportion of male than female students.

This issue has been examined further through the STEM Strategy for Northern Ireland, Success through STEM, which included 20 recommendations for government and business to secure and enhance the supply of STEM skills. Addressing the gender imbalance was one of the five recommendations identified for business to lead on. A STEM business subgroup was established to take forward the five recommendations for business. In 2012, the Department funded a STEM business coordinator to support the subgroup’s work and, since then, significant progress has been made. In June 2013, the Subgroup produced a draft report entitled ‘Addressing Gender Balance –Reaping the Gender Dividend in STEM’, with the final report being launched in November 2013.

The importance of entrepreneurialism in leadership and management is likely to be a key theme as we go forward. It is recognised that skills in this area will be important to achieve the aims of the economic strategy. In June 2014, the STEM business subgroup, DEL, and the Equality Commission launched the STEM CEO Charter, which enables STEM organisations to demonstrate their commitment to equal opportunity for women in their employment. Twenty organisations committed to the Charter on the day of the launch and, to date, 37 companies have signed up.

Finally, giving the right advice and guidance to prospective learners is extremely important, and my Department's careers service ‎offers impartial careers advice on an all age basis. While the higher education institutions and further education colleges provide careers support to their students, young people can also avail of the careers service‎ either through a face-to-face interview or through web-chat. In addition, the careers website on NI Direct includes information on how to start up a business, including the potential benefits and challenges, and a self-employment checklist. It also provides useful links to ‎other sources of help including Enterprise NI, Shell Livewire, and the Prince's Trust.