To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail (i) the current and planned employment initiatives her Department is engaged with East Londonderry; and (ii) the number of employment or training places that will be created as a result.

My Department invests significantly right across Northern Ireland, in what could be regarded as training and upskilling.

Employers create apprenticeship opportunities in line with their business needs. My Department’s ApprenticeshipsNI and Higher Level Apprenticeship programmes provide funded apprenticeship training at levels 2 to 7 across a range of occupational areas. Apprentices are employed and paid directly by employers, and training is delivered through Northern Ireland based colleges, universities and non-statutory contractors, several of which are located in the East Londonderry constituency.

In addition, the Apprenticeship Return, Retain, Result and Recruit schemes are in place to incentivise employers to return apprentices from furlough and recruit new apprentices, including those previously made redundant. To date a total of £127,668 has been paid to employers in East Londonderry under both schemes, which has helped return 43 apprentices from furlough and create 38 new apprenticeship opportunities.

The amendment to the current age-eligibility criteria by the end of this year for apprenticeships under the ApprenticeshipsNI programme will also create new opportunities for those aged 25 and over in East Londonderry and across Northern Ireland.

My Department is introducing reforms to the vocational education landscape this September with Skill for Life and Work and the NI Traineeship. This new provision will help to ensure there is a well understood progression pathway that meets the needs of participants, the labour market and the wider economy.

Skills for Life and Work is a vocational education programme for young people aged 16–17 years (with extended age eligibility for those with a disability or from an in-care background) who require training primarily at Entry Level and Level 1. The first participants will commence on programme in September 2021.

The training will be primarily aimed at young people aged 16-17, with extended age criteria for some groups. It aims to deliver a portfolio of personal development, employability and essential skills alongside professional and technical training.

The NI Traineeship is the new full-time Level 2 vocational education and training provision that will provide participants with the opportunity to achieve a full level 2 outcome. Developed in partnership with employers, the Traineeship will provide participants with the skills and qualifications necessary to secure employment in their chosen occupation. The Traineeship combines vocational training, structured work placement and numeracy & literacy qualifications to support an individual’s progression onto a Level 3 Apprenticeship, other Further Education qualifications or into employment. The programme will be delivered by Further Education Colleges throughout Northern Ireland, including those in the East Londonderry constituency and will be open to all age groups. When fully operational Traineeships will be available across more than 30 occupational areas.

The ESF programme Priority Axis 1 & 2 is designed to fund activity to enhance and extend employment opportunities, in particular, for those groups at a disadvantage in the labour market who are unemployed, including long term unemployed or economically inactive. In Call 2 of the 2014 – 20 NI ESF programme 4 Projects located with the East Londonderry consistency were approved funding for the period April 2018 – March 2022.

Enterprise NI Ltd (ENI) and Roe Valley Community Education Forum (RVCEF) Ltd were approved funding under the unemployed and economically inactive strand for projects with 4 year total eligible costs of £2.9m. At the end of year 3 these 2 projects have enrolled 61% (1467 participants) against a 4 year targets of 2396. At the end of year 3 they have achieved into employment rates of 39% against a target of 19% and into education rates of 22%against a target of 10%.

Limavady Community Development Initiative (LCDI) and Rapid were approved funding under the disability strand for projects with 4 year eligibility costs of £1.5m. At the end of year 3 these 2 projects have enrolled 81% (219 participants) against a 4 year target of 272 At the end of Year 3 they have achieved their into employment rate of 9% and have achieved an into education rate of 25% against a target of 18%. These results were achieved despite the COVID restrictions of Year 3.

The Assured Skills programme is a demand-led, pre-employment training programme which helps individuals gain the skills they need to compete for guaranteed job vacancies with new Foreign Direct Investment companies and expanding local based businesses.

In the North West, through the Assured Skills Academy model, the programme has supported both FinTrU and Alchemy Technology Services Ltd, delivering industry-focused training that helps equip participants with the skills demanded by growing companies.

To date 13 academies have been completed for these employers in the North West, resulting in the upskilling of 243 people for financial and technology roles. 229 of those participants secured employment with the two companies.

A new Financial Services Academy is ongoing with 19 people currently in training, and a Technology Services Academy has recently launched with 20 further positions available.

Over the course of this financial year Assured Skills hopes to support at least another 3 academies for FinTrU and Alchemy in the North West.

Assured Skills has also funded 2 collaborative Welding Academies, partnering with NWRC, which has resulted in 25 people being upskilled, and 24 of those being employed as welders.

My Department is working closely with NWRC to develop a series of additional Collaborative Welding Academies that are expected to be delivered before March 2022. This highlights my commitment to ensuring that my Department responds positively to the needs of the manufacturing sector given the pivotal role it will play in the recovery of the economy.

In 2020/2021, the Skills Intervention Programme delivered upskilling courses for individuals whose employment status was impacted by the pandemic. Further Education Colleges and local Universities (including UU & NWRC) provided a range of online courses to facilitate the programme engaging with individuals across Northern Ireland including East Londonderry.

In 2021, as part of the Executive’s Economic Recovery Action Plan, a Flexible Skills Fund has been established to help upskill and reskill individuals to meet the needs of the economy as we emerge from the pandemic and continue to grow the Economy beyond it. This three-year programme, with funding provided from the Department of Finance and the Northern Ireland Office, will build on the work of the Skills Interventions Programme. This programme will be encouraging engagement of participants right across all regions within Northern Ireland.

The Flexible Skills Fund will be utilised to support a range of educational opportunities from entry level to Level 7 qualifications. Initial delivery of the Flexible Skills Fund will be provided by the further and higher education sectors. Courses will be linked directly to the priority areas for economic growth. Courses will enable longer term employment opportunities for individuals across all regions of Northern Ireland.