Women are making a significant contribution to the Northern Ireland economy according to Heather Stevens, Director of Skills and Industry at the Department for Employment and Learning.

During a speech to delegates attending and international conference hosted by the Women into Politics (WIP) organisation, Heather Stevens said that traditional stereotyping of the role of women was a thing of the past and added: “Women are now represented throughout the Northern Ireland workforce and are, according to the latest Executive Watch Survey results, increasingly employed in executive level jobs.”

Referring to the Department for Employment and Learning’s Skills Strategy Heather Stevens said: “Last week saw the launch of the Department for Employment and Learning’s Skills Strategy and Implementation plan at a conference in Belfast. In what was a long consultation period I was particularly pleased to see the high level of response from organisations representing women.

“The thrust of the Strategic Plan is all about equality of opportunity in education, training and employment. It also addresses the need for partnership approaches to tackle what is rapidly becoming a changing economic landscape for all of us.”

Mrs Stevens went on to detail a number of government initiatives currently addressing the specific needs of unemployed women, including the EQUAL Employability Access Project, the New Deal programme for lone parents and the drive to encourage more flexibility in the work place.

Welcoming the debate on issues relevant to women in the world of work, Heather Stevens concluded:

“The government is committed to breaking down barriers for women and encouraging them to seize the opportunities we will be offering. With more women in work, the contribution we can make is a significant one and I believe will lead to a thriving world class economy for Northern Ireland.”

(SP/GB)