Economy Minister Gordon Lyons has highlighted the important role further education colleges play in driving Northern Ireland’s economic recovery through the delivery of practical higher education courses.
During a visit to Northern Regional College’s Ballymena campus, the Minister met staff and students to hear about some of the exceptional higher education courses available.
Speaking after touring the Advanced Manufacturing Workshop where students were on hand to demonstrate the technical skills they have developed through their higher education programmes, the Minister said: “As we move into a decade of economic transformation around our 10X Economic Vision, we move into an era that will be defined by the application of technology, data and innovation. I want learners to access qualifications that employers need and want employers to have access to appropriately skilled and qualified learners.”
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The Minister continued: “The number one challenge for businesses continues to be accessing the right skills and talent. Higher education pathways at the further education colleges are helping us to deliver on these ambitions and address this challenge through enhancing the talents of the current and future workforce.”
During his visit the Minister also met a number of students who will be competing in the Industrial Robotics and CNC Milling categories at the national finals of this year’s WorldSkills UK in November, and the UK Team in Industrial Robotics at the International WorldSkills competition in Luxembourg.
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The Minister added: “The success of these students in reaching not just the WorldSkills UK finals but also to be representing the UK on the international stage is testament not only to their own personal ability and dedication but also to the practical skills and knowledge taught on Foundation Degrees.”
Commenting on the ministerial visit, Christine Brown, Vice Principal Teaching and Learning at Northern Regional College, said: “As we face an increasing skills gap, the importance of seamless progression from study to career has never been more critical. Courses such as Higher Level Apprenticeships give students key experiences in highly skilled sectors including accountancy, advanced manufacturing and cyber security and we are seeing growing numbers of students go straight into skilled roles with leading employers. Today’s visit is a timely reminder that a partnership approach is essential to ensuring that students are equipped to make informed decisions in progressing to higher education.”
Source: Written from press release.
