Transforming Education in Northern Ireland: A breakfast round table on education reform as economic strategy

The Integrated Education Fund (IEF) has held a special round table discussion event with senior business leaders looking at education reform as economic strategy.

IEF Chief Executive Paul Caskey OBE, Dr Matt Milliken, Dr Stephen Roulston, IEF Head of Fundraising Katie Pollock, A&O Shearman Head of HR Ciarán McCallion, IEF Campaign Council Chair David Montgomery and Phil Murray from the NI Chamber of Commerce. | Courtesy of A&O Shearman

placeholder image — IEF Chief Executive Paul Caskey OBE, Dr Matt Milliken, Dr Stephen Roulston, IEF Head of Fundraising Katie Pollock, A&O Shearman Head of HR Ciarán McCallion, IEF Campaign Council Chair David Montgomery and Phil Murray from the NI Chamber of Commerce. | Courtesy of A&O Shearman

This event was hosted by A&O Shearman in Belfast, with support from the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce.

Researchers from Ulster University’s Transforming Education project Dr Matt Milliken and Dr Stephen Roulston, presented on the long-term economic implications of Northern Ireland’s education system for wider society.

Dr Matt Milliken, Dr Stephen Roulston, IEF Head of Fundraising Katie Pollock, IEF Chair Peter Osborne, A&O Shearman Communications Manager Pauline Wylie, A&O Shearman Head of HR Ciarán McCallion and Phil Murray from the NI Chamber of Commerce. | Courtesy of A&O Shearman

While the region has long been recognised for strong academic outcomes, their research highlighted growing structural and demographic pressures, including declining pupil numbers, surplus school capacity, complex governance arrangements, and financial inefficiencies within a divided system. For business leaders, these challenges extend well beyond education. They have direct implications for the future skills pipeline, workforce readiness, public spending decisions, regional competitiveness, and the development of more collaborative workplace cultures.

The roundtable offered business leaders the opportunity to explore what a more sustainable, future-focused education model could look like, and to consider how they can support evidence-informed reform through their leadership.

The IEF is extremely grateful for the support from A&O Shearman which enabled this event to happen and looks forward to continuing this conversation in the future.