Newry Mourne and Down District Council is supporting Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week 2022, a Northern Ireland wide initiative, led by the Department of the Economy, that seeks to demonstrate how apprenticeships work for individuals, businesses, communities and the wider economy.
From Monday 7February – 11 February 2022, a number of virtual and in person events will take place across the District hosted by both of the Further and Education Colleges located within the Council area – Southern Regional College and South Eastern Regional College.
The theme for this year’s Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week is to highlight how future apprentices can ‘Transform your future with an apprenticeship’ aiming to demonstrate how apprentices can earn while they learn and become embedded within local businesses, whilst also showcasing and enabling local employers to ‘Transform your business with an apprentice’. An Apprenticeship canimprove the skills, wages and future career progression of participating individuals and have a positive impact on the productivity of those firms taking on apprentices.
As part of the week, Southern Regional College will be holding the BIG Apprenticeship event and host a series of interactive ‘Q & A’ sessions and South Eastern Regional College will be hosting ‘Have a Go’ taster apprenticeship session and ‘Ask me Anything’ advice sessions for student, parents and employers. All events aim to offer a platform to school leavers, parents, employers and businesses on the various local opportunities available for obtaining qualifications, developing skills and securing employment right across the District. It also offers employers a platform to promote their Apprenticeship and Higher-Level Apprenticeship (HLA) vacancies as well as promoting their business and any other job vacancies – thereby bringing the two markets together.
Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Councillor Cathy Mason, said that the week is an opportune time to consider the benefits of an apprenticeship, stating that
“Apprenticeships can be life changing and a fast and reliable way to get qualified while getting paid in a real job, whilst also helping local employers to fill a skills gap. The Council is working proactively with the FE Colleges and local training providers to actively promote this as a viable pathway and to create and sustain jobs within the Council area”
For full details on the Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week events, visit the Southern Regional College link: https://www.src.ac.uk/courses/skills-training/apprenticeships-at-src and the South Eastern Regional College link: South Eastern Regional College Events | Eventbrite