Written Answers to Questions - Northern Ireland Assembly

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Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers yEAR PGCE BEd 2011 20 127 2012 19 121 All of the students were from a Catholic background. Customer First in the Western District Ms Boyle asked the Minister for Employment and Learning, in light of the announcement on the roll out of Customer First in the Western District, whether any discussions have taken place between his Department and the Department for Social Development on the provision of a ‘One Stop Shop’ in premises at a central location in Strabane which had been envisaged previously as part of the Benefits and Jobs Project which has not yet been fully implemented. (AQW 13478/11-15) Dr Farry: The Jobs and Benefits service has been introduced into 27 offices across Northern Ireland, however it has not been possible to introduce it into the remaining 8 offices as capital funding has not been made available to complete roll-out. Staff in the local JobCentre and the Social Security Office continue however to deliver high levels of service to customers in the Strabane area, such as work focused interviews and access to a full range of our employment services and programmes, Both the Minister for Social Development and I will continue to seek opportunities to deliver the Jobs & Benefits service as they arise and subject to the identification of funding. Jobs at FG Wilson Mr Ross asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what support his Department can offer to people who will lose their jobs at FG Wilson. (AQW 13479/11-15) Dr Farry: My officials have been very proactive since FG Wilson announced these job losses. Telephone contact was initially made with the company followed by a discussion with company representatives to explain in detail how the Department’s Redundancy Advice Service can help those affected. FG Wilson management has expressed a clear commitment to working with the Department and other Agencies to assist employees. They are keen that our services are offered to those affected across all three of their sites, and will encourage employees who will be affected to avail of the help and support available. All services are free of charge to both employees and the company. A further meeting between the Department and FG Wilson has already scheduled to plan in detail for the delivery of advice clinics. In offering the Redundancy Advice Service, the Department will work in partnership with the Social Security Agency, Further Education Colleges, HMRC and other agencies. Employees will be provided with information and professional advice about the options and support available to them including employment, training and education opportunities, as well as careers, benefits and taxation advice. Jobs at FG Wilson Mr Ross asked the Minister for Employment and Learning what contact his Department has had with FG Wilson since the announcement that up to 260 jobs could be lost by the end of the year. (AQW 13480/11-15) Dr Farry: My officials have been very proactive since FG Wilson announced these job losses. Telephone contact was initially made with the company followed by a discussion with company representatives to explain in detail how the Department’s Redundancy Advice Service can help those affected. WA 480
Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers FG Wilson management has expressed a clear commitment to working with the Department and other Agencies to assist employees. They are keen that our services are offered to those affected across all three of their sites, and will encourage employees who will be affected to avail of the help and support available. All services are free of charge to both employees and the company. A further meeting between the Department and FG Wilson has already scheduled to plan in detail for the delivery of advice clinics. In offering the Redundancy Advice Service, the Department will work in partnership with the Social Security Agency, Further Education Colleges, HMRC and other agencies. Employees will be provided with information and professional advice about the options and support available to them including employment, training and education opportunities, as well as careers, benefits and taxation advice. Invest NI Mr Eastwood asked the Minister for Employment and Learning (i) whether there is communication between Invest NI and his Department regarding potential investors’ feedback on skills; (ii) whether this feedback is used to shape specific and general programmes to improve skills, and (iii) whether this feedback is used by his Department, universities and colleges to determine which courses are offered and promoted. (AQW 13494/11-15) Dr Farry: I encourage a positive relationship between my Department and Invest Northern Ireland. This is immensely important as we work together to rebuild and rebalance the economy by implementing the Northern Ireland Economic Strategy. The Assured Skills programme is one of the main areas of joint work between my Department and INI to attract potential investors to Northern Ireland. Under Assured Skills, we bring all the experience of both organisations to bear and jointly develop, design and, ultimately, fund projects. This co-operative approach has greatly influenced the decision of several companies to invest here, and has resulted in 726 new jobs secured for Northern Ireland just in the last year. A further 400 posts are currently the subject of ongoing negotiations. We receive direct feedback from potential investors on their needs by meeting with potential investors alongside INI colleagues. In doing this, our aim is to reduce the risk to the investor in a new labour market by using our experience to help them find the staff they need, and then ensure they have access to the skills training to get up and running – and productive – as quickly as possible. In terms of how this feedback is used to shape specific and general programmes to improve skills, we get first hand information on the company’s recruitment, training and skills requirements, and are then in a perfect position to liaise with the local further or higher education sector to design and develop a bespoke solution to meet the company’s needs. For example, we are working with Queen’s, the University of Ulster and Belfast Metropolitan College to design specific programmes for CVS Caremark, a United States based pharmaceutical company that recently announced the creation of 50 new jobs in NI. Assured Skills also helps existing companies who are expanding, and Queen’s University are currently designing customised management and leadership courses for Andor Technology, who are creating 166 additional jobs. These examples show how we are improving the industry-relevant skills within the further and higher sectors in Northern Ireland in response to demand. Course provision is a matter for institutions but, in the longer term, I believe these linkages and direct experience of industry’s needs will influence institutions to adapt the courses they offer to make them even more business focussed. This is, of course, happening already. For example, I am aware that one of the local universities has already revised some of their Information Technology provision in the light of interaction with local companies, including recent investors, and I welcome this. WA 481
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