To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail what measures are in place to address the skills requirements in advanced manufacturing and engineering.

In response to the increasing demand for skills need in advanced manufacturing and engineering, my Department works closely with South West College (SWC) as the designated Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) Hub. SWC as the lead college for the AME Hub, collaborates with the other further education (FE) colleges across the region to develop teaching and curriculum excellence that will benefit employers, regardless of geographical area. The Hub has established strong industry links with over 205 participating employers including the AME sectoral partnership and other business engagement activity to ensure that curriculum provision and programmes delivered are fully aligned to the sector’s current and future requirements.

Assured Skills/Bridge to Employment

My Department’s Employer Skills Team worked closely with SWC to develop a more strategic and sustainable programme to address the demand for welders in local companies. The programme was developed following the delivery of a number of Assured Skills welding academies across the six further education colleges in 2018/19 which trained 57 individuals to Level 2, resulting in 43 participants gaining employment.

In November 2019, SWC launched a Manufacturing Support Programme (MSP), to provide the AME industries with an integrated support package for workforce development and growth. MSP assists employers in attracting and retaining the talent needed to continue to improve productivity and competitiveness. The package of measures offered under the MSP include:

Assured Skills Welding Academy in Dungannon;

Bridge to Employment welding projects in Omagh, Enniskillen and Dungannon; and

the opportunity for all eligible firms to avail of Skills Focus to upskill current employees.

Skills Focus

The FE colleges have delivered qualifications to 612 employees in the AME sector in the last two years (1 April 2018 to 31 January 2020) under the auspices of the Skills Focus programme.

InnovateUs

Through the InnovateUs programme, the FE colleges have delivered 178 innovation upskilling projects in the AME sector in the last two years (1 April 2018 to 31 January 2020). The FE Colleges continue to work to develop projects with the AME sector, and in particular with ADS NI, (the representative body for the Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space Industries) to deliver both the Skills Focus and InnovateUS programmes.

Apprenticeships

Funding for apprenticeship training is provided by my Department. Training is available from Level 2 (GCSE equivalent) up to Level 7 (Masters Level). In the case of apprentices aged between 16-24 years, through the ApprenticeshipsNI programme, my Department funds 100% of the cost of off-the-job training at Levels 2 and 3. At the end of April 2019, 759 apprenticeships were enrolled on the engineering related programmes. For apprentices aged 25 years and over, funding (at a reduced rate) is focused on specific priority economic sectors (including engineering). An incentive payment is available for employers whose employees achieve all relevant qualifications.

My Department also funds off-the-job training for the Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs), creating an effective and sustainable pipeline for skills development in the Northern Ireland workforce, while offering an alternative route for participants to gain a third level qualification. HLAs in advanced manufacturing and engineering are currently delivered at Level 5 through the further education colleges and at Level 6 by Ulster University.

Higher Education

The Department’s Post Graduate Award Scheme provided funding for a total of 86 engineering students at Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University in 2018/19. The Northern Ireland Skills Barometer indicates that HE skills are, in general, only marginally undersupplied. However, there is an imbalance across individual subject areas with the largest undersupply predicted in ‘Engineering & Technology’ subjects (which includes ‘Production & manufacturing engineering’).

Northern Ireland’s universities are aware of this undersupply, and have taken measures to rebalance provision, with the result that enrolments and qualifications in ‘Engineering & technology’ subjects have been increasing over the past number of years. Enrolments have increased 36.2% from 2,845 in 2008/09 to 3,875 in 2017/18. Qualifications in these subjects have increased by 41.3% from 690 in 2008/09 to 975 in 2017/18.

Invest NI

Invest NI’s support for support for the Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing (AEM) sector since 2015 has focussed on Skills & Leadership delivering:

£10,583k Skills Growth grant offered to companies in the AEM sector;

£41,183k projected secured spend by companies in the AEM sector;

180 offers made to companies in the AEM sector; and

48 offers made to develop leadership and management potential in the AEM sector through The Leader Programme, Leading within a Group and Leadership Team programmes.