DEL defends record on unemployment

DEL responded to a petition from the Londonderry Local Strategy Partnership (LSP) for Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey to intervene to help secure match funding for five local employment projects imperilled by a funding shortfall in March 2008.

The LSP 2,652,468 Job Outreach Project, 1,713,185 Cresco Trust Strive to Work Project, 599,899 Triax Apollo Project, 496,625 Creggan Neighbourhood Partnership Core Project, and 288,487 NW Centre for Learning and Development Skills Development Project would make significant contribution to the economic performance achievable in the Derry City Council area, manager Oonagh McGillion advised Sir Reg.

But as 35 per cent of the total project costs was dependent on match funding and this had not been achieved at that time, the LSP implored the Minister to arrange a meeting to discuss the situation and the implications for the Londonderry projects.

However, in a reply authorised by Sir Reg and dated March 13, 2008, Mark McConville, Private Secretary to the Employment Minister advised it would not be appropriate to get involved but suggested the project start dates would be deferred.

The Sentinel has learned DEL has no record of any other meetings or correspondence between Ministers or senior officials and any other organisations or individuals over the past three years that had as the main subject or item on the agenda unemployment or investment in the Londonderry area. This was in spite of spiralling job losses in the area which has the highest unemployment rate in Northern Ireland. The information was obtained by this newspaper through a Freedom of information (FOI) request.

A spokesperson for DEL defended its record and pointed out initiatives and services it has provided over the past three years to help people get back to work in Londonderry.

"The Department for Employment and Learning has a wide range of services and programmes available to assist individuals in the Derry area to move towards and into work, such as New Deal / Steps to Work, Local Employment Intermediary Service (LEMIS - available in Belfast, Londonderry and Strabane), Disability Employment Programmes including Pathways to Work, and Bridge to Employment," the spokesperson stated.

"The Department also has specific provision to assist young people such as our Training for Success programme, and runs an all-age apprenticeship programme, ApprenticeshipsNI. There is also a wide range of provision to assist individuals to up-skill, including management and leadership training.

"Within Jobs and Benefits Offices, our staff provide a work-focussed Adviser service. The Department also has a Careers Service which is located in Richmond Chambers in Derry and is available to anyone who wishes to obtain careers advice.

"Officials from this department are engaged with local representatives and communities through the Local Strategy Partnership, the LEMIS Stakeholders' Forum, Workforce Development Forum and Neighbourhood Renewal groups," the spokesperson added.

The DEL spokesperson also pointed out that it has no remit in relation to factors that affect working people in the Londonderry area such as wage inflation and job creation, the latter being a matter for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETINI).

Details on the Department's provision to assist those who are unemployed may be found on the Department's web-site (www.delni.gov.uk) or via the NIDirect web-site (www.nidirect.gov.uk ), along with the information on the provision available to up-skill individuals and on specific help available during the downturn.