Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any recent discussions she has had with employers on barriers to apprenticeship recruitment.
Minister for the Economy: My officials engage regularly with employers and employer representative bodies across a range of fora to discuss skills needs, workforce development and wider labour market issues.
My department funds ApprenticeshipNI and Higher-Level Apprenticeships via Further Education Colleges, Higher Education Institutions and Private Training Organisations. The recruitment to each job vacancy is an autonomous process which lies with each individual business to manage.
At a recent meeting with employer representative organisations, employers highlighted broader challenges impacting recruitment, including rising operating costs (such as National Insurance and energy costs) and concerns around additional regulatory burdens. While these discussions did not specifically focus on apprenticeship recruitment, they provide important context for employer capacity to create new opportunities.
The Department is taking forward a range of actions through the Apprenticeship Action Plan and ongoing employer engagement to address these issues and support increased participation in apprenticeships across the North.
ENDS
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