Colin Woods Head of Skills Delivery Branch Department for Employment and Learning

Skills Solutions

Skills Matter

Draft Strategic Targets 90% of the workforce having Level 2 skills or higher 76% of the workforce having Level 3 skills or higher 52% of the workforce having Level 4-8 skills

448,340

37,361

143

21

One Qualification every 2 Mins and 51 seconds

21

143

37,361

448,340

So what are DEL doing to increase skills levels? Wide range of funded training opportunities Management and Leadership Training under the Made not Born Banner Apprenticeships NI Training 4 Success Essential Skills Bridge to Employment Customized Training Steps to Work Higher Education both at University and Through FE Further Education Provision Careers Information, Advice and Guidance

Lots on Offer……BUT! Too many Products and Programmes – hard to keep track of them all Hard to Access – who do I phone? How do I know which one is right for my business? How do I apply for the ones I want?

The Skills Solutions Service Single Point of Contact for Employers wanting to know about DEL Skills Provision Team of Trained staff available to respond to queries about what is on offer and help you access it Advisers with dedicated responsibility for geographical areas

Information and Advice on the DEL Support Available Trained staff with a business focused approach Knowledge of the DEL Programmes available Advice on how they can be used and how to apply Assistance with applications or with finding the right person to talk to

Bridge to Employment Pre-employment Training for new staff Training programme built around the job description for the vacancy to be filled Help with advertising, recruitment and selection of candidates who are currently unemployed Training programme delivered in house or by third party, like the local FE College Employer Commitment – to interview those trainees who complete the training Usually free of charge to the employer

Customized Training Flexible Training Programmes for current staff Funding available for units or more of accredited qualifications at Level 2 or above Content built around the business need

Customized Training (cont.) Variable rates of funding depending on the size of the company and the qualifications already held by the learner Further Education Colleges are the primary provider of our training

How to get in Touch? On the web: By Phone: In Person: in the exhibition area at this Conference