Positive day for jobseekers in Belfast

Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Micky Murray was focused on jobs and skills as he hosted a Belfast Employment Academies Celebration event at City Hall and visited the Belfast Jobs Fair at St George’s Market on Tuesday 8th October.

Both opportunities for Belfast residents were made possible with funding from Belfast Labour Market Partnership in partnership with Belfast City Council.

Launched in 2022, the council’s Professional Services Employment Academies are designed to provide an alternative route into the sector, by supporting people who may be unemployed, underemployed, or seeking a better or more secure job, to achieve the qualifications and experience sought by employers. After completing an aptitude process assessing suitability for Professional Services roles, participants complete an almost full-time academy over a period of weeks through a blend of classroom-based and on-the-job learning.

Three cohorts of Belfast residents have completed their Employment Academy in recent months in either Business Services or Technology. As a result, 22 (81%) people are now in employment, with the remainder completing further training to help prepare them for the world of work. Last year, almost 610 participants completed a Belfast City Council Employment Academy in Business Services, Fibre, Health & Social Care, Irish Medium, Logistics, Technology, Working with Children and Working at Sea. To date, 88% of those completing an Academy have moved into employment, with over 200 participants being supported through further training.

Speaking to 27 employment academy participants at this morning’s celebration event, the Lord Mayor said: “It’s wonderful to take a moment to celebrate your success with you after completing our recent Professional Services Employment Academies. Be proud of the valuable new skills and knowledge you’ve developed – and for many of you, be proud of the jobs you’ve secured as a result. I hope that we have helped you to progress and grow – and I know that we have helped employers reach into untapped talent pool.

“Today, Belfast is a well-established location for global professional services in accounting, administration, finance, human resources, legal, technical and technology support. The city and regional demand for tech skills, including software development and engineering surged throughout the pandemic and it’s continuing to grow across all sectors of the economy as businesses have moved to remote and hybrid working and are digitising their supply chains.

“I’d like to thank our private sector employers for their work with us. It’s a win-win – residents receive the tailored training they need, and employers benefit from the high-quality talent pipeline that we’re helping to create. Belfast City Council is focused on achieving inclusive economic growth – and helping to create a city where everyone can share in the benefits of growth and opportunity, regardless of their background or circumstances. Through our range of employment academies, and initiatives like our Belfast Jobs Fair today at St George’s Market, we’re helping to address some of Belfast’s key challenges by giving people the tools they need to succeed in life and access to employment opportunities.

“The success of today’s Belfast Jobs Fair and Employment Academy celebration is testament to the hard work and dedication of all our partners, helping to break down barriers to employment and helping people to take the next step. They’re a shining example of what can be achieved when we work together to create opportunities for everyone in our city.”

Speaking of their experience of working in partnership with Belfast City Council on the employment academies:

Professor Sir Ian Greer, Queen’s University Belfast President and Vice-Chancellor said: “Queen’s is proud to have partnered with Belfast City Council on the first ever Administration Academy pilot. This initiative has helped remove barriers to employment, providing 10 participants, some with no previous administration experience, with employability support and the opportunity to secure an administrative role in the University upon completion of the Academy.”

“Having completed NVQ Level 2 qualifications in Business Administration we are pleased to welcome our new staff members into Grade 3 administration roles across various schools and departments in the University. The Academy aligns with Queen’s Strategy 2030 and the pledges of the Belfast Promise, reinforcing our commitment to nurturing local talent and promoting diversity within the workforce. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Belfast City Council on future programmes.”

Anna Rice, Senior HR Business Partner, Energia Group added: “I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of calibre from the Academy, but I was blown away by the people who had applied. I was astounded by their motivation and drive and by how much untapped potential there is out there. It has definitely made us stop and think about how we recruit and we will definitely get involved in other academies in the future.”

The Belfast Jobs Fair brought together over 60 employers and employability support organisations, including Gateway to Choices (G2C) and offered over 1,000 current job vacancies.

For more information on how Belfast City Council is helping residents take the next step into employment and training, go towww.belfastcity.gov.uk/employability