A NEW programme has been launched to help people start their own business or find new jobs and training opportunities.
Exploring Enterprise3 (EE3p) is delivered by Enterprise Northern Ireland, the umbrella body for Northern Ireland’s Local Enterprise Agencies.
It will support unemployed or economically inactive people across Northern Ireland and is designed to fill a gap in the market for those who lack opportunities to take part in training or the skills needed to find work.
The programme provides 143 courses delivered by a network of 29 Enterprise Agencies and is part-funded by the Northern Ireland European Social Fund 2014-2020 Investment for Jobs and Growth Programme, the Department for Employment & Learning, Enterprise Northern Ireland and the Local Enterprise Agencies.
Gordon Gough, chief executive of Enterprise Northern Ireland, said: “This new programme will run for three years, with one to one business mentoring and a QCF Level 1 in Understanding Business Enterprise qualification on successful completion.
“Participants will receive expert mentoring to help build and improve CVs, search for job opportunities, practice their interview skills and develop business plans that could help them become self-employed.
Participants will be signposted to additional support after completing the programme.”
Mr Gough added: “We have seen many success stories from our previous programme with 2,655 people taking part.”
Figures for July-September 2015 show the Northern Ireland Labour Force Survey unemployment rate was 5.9% — a decrease of 0.6% over the quarter and a fall of 0.1% over the year.
In October, the number of claimants in receipt of unemployment related benefits stood at 39,700, a decrease of 1,000 over the month and there was a fall of 11,900 in the unemployment claimant figures over the last 12 months.