Apprenticeships More Popular Than Ever – Economy Minister

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has highlighted the growing popularity of apprenticeships in Northern Ireland, stating that more people than ever are taking advantage of these valuable training opportunities.

The Minister made the comments during a visit to Springvale Employment and Learning in Belfast as part of NI Apprenticeship Week, an initiative supported by the Department for the Economy to raise awareness of apprenticeship opportunities across all sectors.

"Apprenticeships are hugely important for our economy, giving opportunities for employers to upskill staff and for their employees to gain qualifications, earning while they learn," said Dr Archibald. "Take-up of apprenticeships at our further education colleges and training organisations has increased by almost 50% since 2022/23, thanks in large part to my Department introducing all-age apprenticeships." With nearly 14,000 people now participating in apprenticeships across Northern Ireland, the Minister emphasised the importance of increasing participation among women, people with disabilities, and those from areas of disadvantage.

"My Department's new £600,000 Apprenticeship Inclusion Challenge Fund will help these groups overcome barriers to getting involved," she added.

Colin Downey from Disability Action highlighted the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access to apprenticeship opportunities. "Having a disability should not be a barrier to people achieving their dreams," he said. "Disability Action works in partnership with a number of training providers and further education colleges across Northern Ireland to ensure that those with a disability have the opportunity to avail of a range of apprenticeship opportunities."

There are over 60 public events taking place across the north as part of NI Apprenticeship Week. For the full list of events, visit nidirect.

This year the theme of NI Apprenticeship Week is ‘Getting it Right for You', to highlight that apprenticeship opportunities are varied, flexible and meet the needs of many different people as well as many sectors of our economy.