NORTHERN Ireland’s changing employment landscape and the implications of Brexit could result in a skills shortage in key sectors such as engineering and IT.
And a robust economy here will depend upon enough well-qualified young people with the right skills mix to fill vacancies to avoid a projected shortfall to industry, according to a government-backed report.
Ahead of the Skills Northern Ireland exhibition, which will take place at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast on November 7 and 8, the findings of the Northern Ireland 2017 Skills Barometer showed less demand for low skilled jobs in areas such as retail against an undersupply of young people with STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects.
The Skills NI Exhibition, which is sponsored by NIE Networks and is aimed at 14-19 year olds, parents and teachers, can help equip young people with the best information to achieve the career of their dreams at its two-day event.
As part of the exhibition, Belfast Metropolitan College have sponsored an Ambassador Hub where visitors can meet apprentices, employees and students from local companies, colleges and universities, to get inspiration about their own future career journey.
Ambassadors and companies which will be represented include:
LEAH FULLERTON, SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER, KAINOS
Like many school-leavers after completing A-levels, Leah Fullerton was undecided as to whether to apply for a university place or go into the world of work.
The former Girls’ Model School pupil instead opted to do a foundation degree in software engineering at the Belfast Met after gaining three A-levels in Business, IT and Sociology.
Now, after successfully completing Northern Ireland software company Kainos’ apprenticeship scheme Earn as you Learn she was recently promoted to Senior Software Engineer and was the first student on the programme to graduate with a first-class honours degree while working.
Leah (26), from North Belfast, said choosing to do an apprenticeship allowed her to combine a university degree with a salaried job in her chosen career.
“I was working part-time in retail when I was at college completing my foundation degree,” she recalled. “I was looking for work experience when I discovered the advertisement for an apprenticeship with Kainos.”
After making a successful application to Kainos, Leah, who was among the first intake at the scheme, took up the Earn as you Learn opportunity with the tech firm in 2013.
The four and a half year apprenticeship programme is structured around a four-day working week with one day part-time study at Ulster University for a degree in Computing Systems.
“From the first day I started with Kainos I got paid a salary with all my study costs, including fees,” she explained.
“The apprenticeship enabled me to accomplish so much by working while studying for a degree. I found my studies at university easier to complete as many of the assignments are based on real-world projects which I was working on at Kainos.”
In July 2017 Leah became the first student to graduate from the scheme with a first-class honours degree.
“I wouldn’t have achieved the results I got had I been doing this on my own,” she added. “Now I have a permanent job and no student debt.
“You have money in your pocket from the start while you do a degree. As well as a salary all your study expenses are paid for so you don’t start your career with student debt.”
SARAH GILLESPIE, ASSISTANT APPLICATION DEVELOPER, FUJITSU
Making a career decision is challenging but changing from one profession to a different industry is a bigger leap.
Former community pharmacist Sarah Gillespie from Derry~Londonderry, found herself in this situation after three years working as a locum.
Now, thanks to an apprenticeship scheme she has swapped the world of medicine for one in tech as an Assistant Application Developer at global IT company Fujitsu.
Based at Fujitsu’s Derry~Londonderry site Sarah works in the assured services team providing support for a variety of applications.
The leading global IT firm provides an integrated product and service portfolio for the international marketplace across both public and private sectors.
Having completed a pharmacy degree in Queen’s University, Belfast, and been on the road as a locum for three years, Sarah soon realised the job wasn’t for her: I wasn’t enjoying it. Being a pharmacist is a vocation and wasn’t the right career for me.”
With a strong interest in IT she decided to find out how to make a job switch into tech, after spotting an advertisement for apprenticeships.
In December 2015, Fujitsu offered her a job under the advanced apprenticeship programme allowing her to combine a paid post with an ICT course at Belfast Met. She then went on to do a part-time foundation degree in software engineering at North West College.
“I don’t pay any fees to study as part of the apprenticeship,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for anyone.”
AILISH MCLAUGHLIN, CONNECTIONS PLANNING ENGINEER, NIE NETWORKS
Derry/Londonderry woman Ailish McLaughlin is one of the most ‘powerful’ women in Northern Ireland.
Currently working as a Connections Planning Engineer at NIE Networks, Ailish has worked with the Electricity Utility company for five years after achieving a
First Class Honours Master’s degree (MEng) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast.
While Ailish is most likely to be found out on site in a hard hat and safety boots, working as an electrical engineer was not the career she thought she would pursue.
The 28-year-old, who studied A-levels in politics, history, maths and physics at Thornhill College in the city, originally planned a very different job.
“Growing up I had always planned to study law, but when my physics teacher mentioned there were lots of opportunities in engineering I reconsidered.”
When Ailish learned that the career could also open doors overseas, she decided instead to apply for the MEng course at QUB which includes four years of study and a one-year work placement.
“I applied to NIE Networks for a placement year in 2010 between the second and third years of my degree. The chance to gain meaningful hands-on experience within the industry was fundamental for increasing my chances of employment after graduation.”
When a vacancy arose for a permanent job with the company during her final year at university Ailish jumped at the chance to apply.
Ailish agrees that historically the engineering scene within the energy sector has been male dominated but that the landscape is changing.
“I’ve seen a really positive change over the last five years with more women engineers coming into the business. I feel very proud that I’m still only one of a few women within the company to have gained Senior Authorised Person status but I hope there will be others soon.”
With a demand for STEM graduates, Ailish believes it is a great career and would encourage everyone, particularly females, to consider a career in the Electricity industry.
PHIL McGURK, PRODUCT QUALITY MANAGER, ALMAC GROUP
Skills gained in a retail career have proved invaluable in helping Larne man Phil McGurk (35) climb the career ladder at pharmaceutical company Almac, where he is now a product quality manager.
After gaining a BSc in Geography at Queen’s University Belfast he supported himself to complete a Master of science degree in coastal zone management by working in retail. After graduating, Phil was promoted to an assistant manager post.
Seeking a change from the world of retail, he saw entry-level posts at Almac Pharma Services within the quality team and was pleased to fit the required criteria.
After securing a validation officer position in 2010, he moved into Quality Compliance and has risen through the ranks to his current position which he has held for over a year.
Phil said: “The line management experience I gained in retail has proved to be very valuable in my career at Almac.
“My prior experience taught me transferable skills including the ability to work in a group and independently, having an awareness that the specific task I am responsible for contributes to overall goals and being able to take on a significant body of work and plan projects so they are successful and meet all the required standards.”
Phil believes there are excellent career opportunities in the Pharma industry even if you don’t have a strong STEM background.