A key sector
The Active Leisure, Learning and Well-being sector is at the heart of Northern Ireland’s society. Obesity, social inclusion, cultural diversification, disengaged communities, and physical inactivity, are all areas which top government agendas. It is also at the heart of our local economy – contributing over £191m. Over the last ten years the sector has outperformed the rest of the UK economy four fold in terms of Gross Value Added and employment.
Helping to ensure that the sector continues to thrive, SkillsActive, the Sector Skills Council for the Sport, Fitness, Outdoors, Playwork and Caravan industries works with local employers to make sure that the sector has the professionally trained and qualified staff it needs to support local businesses, sustaining the sector’s on-going success and continued growth – crucial in a time of economic uncertainty.
Growth and performance
The current period of recession puts immense pressure on the sector to maintain its position. And yet despite this, the sector in Northern Ireland has seen substantial growth recently in outdoor tourism businesses, considerable developments in the children’s workforce and a significant increase in capital investment in leisure centres and sport facilities.
At the recent fifth anniversary of SkillsActive, Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Employment and Learning, said: “It is important for us to recognise the enormous strides the industry has made over the past few years and salute SkillsActive’s role in supporting that process. With the substantial growth the industry has enjoyed recently, it is now more important than ever to have the right people with the right skills and qualifications working in it.”
Looking forward – new opportunities to engage
Siobhan Weir, Northern Ireland Manager says: “We have recently celebrated five years of working with local employers in Northern Ireland; however there are still lots of employers out there that we haven’t engaged with. This is your ‘moment’ to professionalise and upskill your workforce in preparation for the exciting times ahead. We need you to continue to direct our work and help develop and deliver solutions to common problems such as improving recruitment and retention, and matching training supply to your business needs. By working with us; the future could be even brighter.”
For more information on SkillsActive in Northern Ireland visit www.skillsactive.com.
