Tech Mission to us
d TECH MISSION TO US FIFTEEN Northern Ireland technology firms recently visited the US to pitch ideas to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs in a bid to win lucrative contracts. Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell and Minister for Employment and Learning Stephen Farry joined the Invest NI Tech Mission in San Francisco and said a 79% increase in...
CIPD Awards honour best PR professionals
HR PROFESSIONALS are being urged to enter this year’s CIPD Northern Ireland Awards. Celebrating excellence within the profession, the awards will be presented to teams, individuals and organisations across 10 categories. CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), the professional body for HR and people development, said they highlight the quality of the work and...
Decrease in Jobless
FIGURES released for the period September-November 2015 show a decrease in the Northern Ireland unemployment rate. The Northern Ireland Labour Force Survey statistics show the unemployment rate was 5.9% — a decrease of 0.1 percentage points over the quarter. More recent figures for December 2015 show that the number of claimants in receipt of unemployment...
Entrepreneurs urged to avail of backing on business plans
MORE than 3,000 buying entrepreneurs are to get help creating their business plans in 2016. As part of The Regional Start Initiative, the next generation of businessmen and women are being invited to get help turning their business ideas into tangible business plans that could help them to secure funding from potential investors. In its...
Windows Growth
TWENTY-FIVE new jobs are to be created in Ballymena, thanks to a £1.7m investment. Window manufacturer Apeer has successfully launched its new maintenance-free ‘Lumi’ system for the residential housing market and is investing in additional equipment, skilled personnel and marketing to maximise sales. Invest NI has offered the business £399,000 to support its investment. Enterprise...
Expansion at He-Shi
A CARRYDUFF-based beauty business is to create 10 new jobs. Announcing the new positions at He-Shi Enterprises Ltd. Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell said: “He-Shi’s focus on bringing to market quality products and growing export sales underpins its rapid growth over the past 12 years. “The creation of 10 new jobs will allow this company to...
Academy Launched
THIS week Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry launched the fourth Alexander Mann Solutions Recruitment Academy. This latest round follows the previous successful academies where 45 graduates gained employment. The academy will provide 20 participants with the skills, knowledge and experience required to take up the exciting opportunities available with Alexander Mann Solutions who...
All New at Ground
GROUND Espresso Bars has appointed two new members to the team in its new Bangor outlet. Hannah Leckey takes the position of store manager and will be responsible for the daily management of the new standalone store. In this position she monitors sales performance, facilitates effective stock control, and also assumes a mentoring role when...
WYG expanding skilled workforce
PROJECT management and technical consultancy firm WYG is expanding its workforce in Northern Ireland. The global company employs over 1,500 people, operating from more than 50 locations across the UK, Europe, Africa. The Northern Ireland office, open since 1998, employs 110 staff including designers, project managers, quantity surveyors, engineers, town planners, environmental specialist and business...
Alarming figures show mental illness in workplace on rise
THE latest figures from the Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD) Absence Management Survey show that a staggering 41% of employers have reported an increase in the number of mental health cases in the last 12 months. Dr Alan Black, director of occupational health provider Blackwell Associates Ltd, said employers can spot the signs of...