Volunteers applauded for helping to create a more ‘confident and connected city’
Volunteers can triple the economic benefits achieved by Belfast City Council in its work with local communities, according to the Lord Mayor. Mayor Niall Ó Donnghaile was speaking recently at an event in Belfast City Hall to mark the European Year of Volunteering. He said volunteering had important social and economic impacts: “Volunteers are helping to extend...
Apprenticeship funding boost hailed as an ‘industry lifeline’
The CITB has welcomed the government’s pro-active response in attracting more apprentices to the workplace. Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, Mark Farrar said: “We are delighted that the government shares our view that creating a pipeline of new talent into business is key to economic recovery and growth. Of course this requires new projects to be...
NI Apprentices take on world in skills contest
Seven Northern Ireland apprentices are currently battling it out for international honours at the WorldSkills London 2011 competition. They’re taking part in the four-day event against 1,000 of the world’s most highly skilled young people from 50 nations at the largest international vocational skills competition of its kind London’s ExCeL Centre. Employment and Learning Minister...
Long-term jobless get help starting new ventures with self-employment scheme
An enterprise scheme in East Belfast is helping young unemployed people gain entrepreneurial skills. Employment and Learning Minister, Dr Stephen Farry, recently visited the Exploring Enterprise 2 programme at East Belfast Enterprise which explores all aspects of the skills required to start up your own business, including marketing, customer care and finance. .The Minister said:...
Long-term jobless get help starting new ventures with self-employment scheme
An enterprise scheme in East Belfast is helping young unemployed people gain entrepreneurial skills. Employment and Learning Minister, Dr Stephen Farry, recently visited the Exploring Enterprise 2 programme at East Belfast Enterprise which explores all aspects of the skills required to start up your own business, including marketing, customer care and finance. .The Minister said:...
Good leaders need to put together a good team
Henry Ford once said: “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” Another writer put it this way: “The fact that you have been knocked down is interesting, but the length of time that remain down is important.” Most Leaders will have experienced probably not one but several failures, however, the successful leaders are...
Advanced training a source of success
International business process out-sourcing company Firstsource Solutions is rolling out globally a training programme developed with its Northern Ireland workforce. The programme has already been used with its 2,000-plus employees across its sites in Belfast and Derry, providing inbound customer service management and technical support for international clients. Inspired by the processes used in the...
Graduates gain vital experience
Business in the Community’s Graduate Acceleration Programme (GAP) is celebrating its role in helping transform the lives of unemployed graduates across Northern Ireland. Supported by the Department of Employment and Learning, through its Steps to Work programme, almost 300 graduates have been placed with local businesses or not-for-profit organisations to gain valuable work experience at...
McDonald’s brain food
Over 200 Northern Ireland McDonald’s Apprentices are among the first in the UK to complete the qualification since it was launched in 2009. Recently awarded a ‘good’ rating in its first Ofsted inspection, the McDonald’s Apprenticeship scheme provides training in job specific skills in customer service, teamwork and communications. The apprenticeship qualification, which is equivalent...
Business placement aims to fill Gap for the unemployed
More than 250 unemployed graduates in Northern Ireland have gained valuable work experience through a business placement scheme. Business in the Community’s Graduate Acceleration Programme (Gap) has been running for around 18 months, linking university leavers with businesses. More than 250 graduates have now been placed at a variety of firms and not-for-profit organisations across...