Skills challenge need to be met

PERSUADING Londonderry's population to upskill is a major challenge in the bid to boost the city's economy, says North West Regional College Director Seamus Murphy.

A forecast of requirements for skills has identified that Londonderry needs 54% of its workforce to be educated to NVQ Level 4 - equating to the upskilling of almost 20,000 people.

But boosting the qualifications base will require tackling attitudes to training in the workforce.

“We’re 12% below the rest of Northern Ireland in terms of skills levels in people in employment, according to an Oxford Economics report,” says Mr. Murphy.

The city’s draft regeneration plan proposes the development of a Skills Strategy to deliver progression through a so-called ‘Skills Escalator’ which allows members of the workforce - who may have work experience without qualifications - to get on the at their own level.

“The challenge is to get people on the escalator and to do that they must be convinced that there is a benefit, that higher skills equal higher incomes. Part and parcel of the Ilex plan is to make connections between better education, better jobs and better income.”

Mr Murphy also highlights the importance of matching the training programmes and education courses available “match” the needs of the workforce.

“That can mean giving people the hard and fast skills to do the job as a well as soft interpersonal skills required such as customer care training,” he explains.

He adds that particular focus must be given to the development of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects as “they are the core of the manufacturing base”.

“We have vacancies in courses on these subjects in Derry, Limavady and Strabane - so the opportunities are there, we certainly have the capacity in terms of further education,” he adds.

Mr Murphy also endorses proposed increases student numbers in the region - both at the regional college and Magee Campus - as a key building block in the drive for economic prosperity.

The new Regeneration Plan proposes the drawing up of a Skills Strategy to ensure the population can make the most of employment opportunities.

The Strategy will be devised and implemented by a new Skills Directorate which will be responsible for setting out the role and the everyday operations of the strategy.

Among the operations stipulated for the strategy is a public works programme that will use a range of interventions to support those currently out of work and get them into employment. This programme will include physical regeneration projects, neighbourhood

programmes, learning and adopting approaches from elsewhere such as the Health Records Assistant Trainee Initiative, Foyle Green Way, tourism and cultural opportunities and local apprenticeship schemes.

It’s proposed that the strategy will be agreed by early 2012.

The plan outlines a range potential outcomes from the creations and implementation of a Skills Strategy, including of the creation of up to 1,000 jobs in education and skills.