Christine Brown, Vice Principal for Teaching and Learning at Northern Regional College said the College’s traineeship provision has benefited from the good relationship it enjoys with local employers.
She continued: ‘’Working with employers is one of the strengths of the traineeship provision at Northern Regional College. Having access to high quality work placements can only add to the success of the traineeship provision. We are delighted to be able to offer the traineeship programme across a range of vocational areas and look forward to the exciting expansion of the provision over the next few years.’’
Following a visit to CarNet, a Larne based specialist used car dealer, Minister for the Economy, Gordon Lyons said: “As our economy continues to recover following the effects of the pandemic, developing the local skills base is a key priority for me and a cornerstone of the recovery. My Department’s 10X Economic Vision and associated Skills Strategy sets out how we want to equip people with the skills they need for the constantly evolving jobs market and build on Northern Ireland’s successes on the global stage. Traineeships have a vital role to play in making this a reality.
“The opportunity provided by a Traineeship for those who are not in employment to gain a Level 2 qualification can unlock their chosen career path or set them up to progress to higher levels of education, such as an Apprenticeship.”
The Minister continued: ”Participants on a Traineeship will also learn valuable skills for employment, and the work-based training is the best way to develop wider and transferable skills that are so vital in the world of work. This is a fantastic and accessible new route to learning and I would encourage anyone who is interested and eligible to look at the wide range of training options available through their local FE college.”
Andrew McCann, owner of CarNET Car Sales in Larne, who has provided a valuable placement for so College trainee Alexandre Sousa can get work experience said: ‘’I am delighted to be in a position to be able to offer a placement opportunity to a student on the Traineeship programme. The programme is very worthwhile and will help to grow the talent within the industry. The placement will allow the student not only to develop important industrial skills but it will also help instil those attitudes and values within the student that employers are constantly on the lookout for.’’
For more information on NI Traineeships and to apply visit https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/traineeships
For more information on NI Traineeships available at Northern Regional College, visit www.nrc.ac.uk