National Technology Apprenticeship Degree To Be Extended In NI

Queen's University in Belfast and PwC have announced a national technology degree apprenticeship will be extended to Northern Ireland.

The degree will help boost technology employment - essential to delivering on growth potential in financial services and advanced manufacturing.

Queen's will become one of only three universities in the UK to offer the programme, joining the Universities of Birmingham and Leeds in delivering a fully-funded four-year technology degree apprenticeship. Across the three universities this will give 100 students a year a degree in computer science or software engineering.

Professor Ian Williams, Dean of Education for the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, said: "Over two thirds (67%) of UK CEOs say they’re having difficulty recruiting people with digital skills, a quarter of UK manufacturing businesses see skills shortages as inhibiting output, while a third of financial services undertakings are constrained by a lack of professional staff.

"Technology is changing the world and at Queen's University Belfast, through world class teaching and facilities, we are training up the next generation of graduates to ensure that Northern Ireland can develop to its full potential."