STORMONT COMES TO LISBURN

LAGAN Valley MLA Basil McCrea has brought the Stormont Committee for Employment and Learning to the Lisburn campus of the South Eastern Regional College.

As they arrived in Castle Street on Wednesday, Mr McCrea, who chairs the committee, said: “I feel it’s important to involve everyone in the goings on of Stormont.

“This committee deals with the bread and butter issues that face everyone on a daily basis, whether it is tuition fees or unemployment. It was an excellent chance to engage with local people and businesses and for everyone on the committee to discover the needs of the city.”

He went on to say: “This will not be a one off engagement, I am always keen to involve people in the workings of Stormont, and I hope to bring the committee back to Lisburn some time to talk to students at the college.

“I was very impressed with the presentation we were given by the college, and I am extremely happy with the way they engage with businesses and local people. The college works with around 1,100 businesses and uses those working relationships to keep their curriculum up to date. I was particularly impressed by the story of two students who were tasked with reducing costs at Coca Cola. The students analysed the water usage system and implemented a mechanism which is in use at Coca Cola today.

“One of the key issues I was campaigning for during the election was ‘If we want our young people to stay, we must give them jobs’. As chair of this committee, I am very well placed to help deliver on this issue. We must create the jobs to drive the region forward, and we must also equip our young people in the skills they need to do this.

“Our people are our most valuable resource in this country. It is important that we do our best to educate them and give them the skills our businesses need to drive the region forward,” he concluded.

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