To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the steps her Department is taking to align apprenticeship availability with regional workforce demand, as identified in the Skills Barometer 2023–2033.

My Department’s funded apprenticeship programmes are demand-led, with employers establishing apprenticeship opportunities in line with business need.

Apprenticeships are delivered by a regional network of training providers who are in tune with local labour market requirements and are able to respond to current and anticipated demand from employers. The number of training providers delivering the ApprenticeshipsNI programme was recently expanded by a further 10 organisations, helping to further increase regional provision.

The Department collaborates with 18 established Sectoral Partnerships to design apprenticeships, from Level 2 to Level 7, that address current industry needs and future labour requirements highlighted by the Skills Barometer.