To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any steps he has taken to encourage more members of the Irish Traveller Community to pursue tertiary education.

I believe tertiary education opportunities should be available to all, regardless of social or economic background. Further education, higher education, apprenticeship and careers policy and procedure support this ambition.

The Careers Service, in particular, has a focus on addressing the needs of young people and adults facing, or vulnerable to, social exclusion – including those from the travelling community. Through partnership working arrangements with all post-primary schools in Northern Ireland young people who are most at risk of leaving school early, or, at risk of not successfully progressing to education, training or employment are identified early in school and actively supported by the DfE Careers Service until they are settled into a positive and appropriate destination.

The Careers Service has also established effective working relationships and referral arrangements with a broad range of statutory, voluntary and community sector bodies who have a shared interest in supporting clients vulnerable to social exclusion, including those from the travelling community.

Widening participation in higher education continues to be a priority for my Department. We want to ensure that those most able but least likely can access and benefit from the higher education that is right for them. To help facilitate this all higher education providers are required to spend a minimum of 10% of their additional tuition fee income on activities relating to widening participation. While the Department has identified specific target groups for widening participation, as referred to in the ‘Access to Success’ strategy, higher education providers can also identify further under-represented and disadvantaged groups to target if there is an identified need. Research commissioned by the Department looking at the widening participation landscape in Northern Ireland is currently being finalised and will inform future widening participation policy and actions.

I also want to continue to ensure the widest possible take-up of our Further Education and Apprenticeship offers, helping to link individuals to work. I was therefore very pleased that in April 2021, a member of the Irish Traveller Community won the Department for the Economy’s Apprentice of the Year Award.