A NEW pilot welding academy will allow 30 trainees to become skilled in the high quality, specialised welding fields required by Harland and Wolff.
Belfast Metropolitan College (BMC) and Northern Regional College (NRC) will run the courses, aimed at training unemployed people, with a background in welding, in modern techniques.
Robert J Cooper, chief executive for Harland and Wolff, said: “The manufacturing quality stipulated by our customers in the offshore oil, gas and renewable energy sectors is among the most demanding anywhere. This training project is essential to continue to develop the core skills necessary to compete on the international stage and bring these high value projects to our shores.”
The six-eight week training programme will select 30 candidates from those who pass a trade test to demonstrate that they have the fundamental skills to benefit from the training.
Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry, whose department is supporting the scheme, said: “The specialised nature of the work carried out by Harland and Wolff and the high quality which the industry demands, has presented the opportunity to further enhance the skill set of the Northern Ireland workforce and to expand the training provision currently offered through the further education colleges to the engineering trades.’ He added: “It will ensure that one of Northern Ireland’s most well known employers will be able to access a high quality, high calibre and highly skilled pool of welders. Looking forward, this improves the overall skill set in our workforce significantly and will help to ensure that other Northern Ireland employers can also draw on this expertise and help them to remain competitive in a demanding global economy.”
Meanwhile, 80 new jobs are to be created by a London-based financial services company.
Financial Transparency Utility (FinTrU) Ltd which provides outsourced financial regulatory processes to investment banks and other financial institutions is creating a centre of excellence in Belfast.
It is expected the new jobs will generate £1.9m for the local economy with roles including a mix of supervisory, associate and graduate posts.
Darragh McCarthy FinTru’s chief executive officer, said: “With increasing regulatory requirements within the financial services sector, we identified an opportunity to provide process out-sourcing to help companies achieve transparency and compliance. We’re confident that we will find the calibre of staff we require in Northern Ireland to help us exploit the market opportunities.”
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “The company’s decision was also influenced by the availability of good quality graduate talent and our cost-competitive business environment. This investment reflects the confidence that international companies have in Northern Ireland’s ability to deliver.”
Recruitment for the posts will begin immediately and it is hoped all positions will be filled by 2016.