Economy Minister, Conor Murphy, has informed the Assembly about new skills initiatives that will support his Economic Vision.

Skills are the foundation of all four strategic objectives of the Economic Vision—Good Jobs, Productivity, Regional Balance and Net Zero. The Department for the Economy's skills agenda has been adjusted to align with these goals.

In a statement, Minister Murphy said: "When my Department received its budget in April I created a new ring fenced Skills Fund of up to £12m. The Skills Fund will support important skills initiatives, including launching a new Skill Up programme, developing our childcare workforce, training for the new green skills and growing the apprenticeship system.

"As well as supporting my top priority of the expansion of Ulster University’s Magee Campus, the funding will help more people access apprenticeships through a new apprenticeship challenge fund, Special Educational Needs provision, All Ireland student mobility and increasing maintenance support."

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The Minister continued: "A highly qualified, skilled workforce is what attracts companies here, helps existing companies to grow, and strengthens our civic and community infrastructure. The interventions announced today help our people access the opportunities within our economy and progress our skills agenda, ensuring it will be a key driver for future growth."

Kathleen O'Hare, Chair of the Northern Ireland Skills Council, commented: "I commend Minister Murphy for his dedication to addressing economic inactivity and enhancing lifelong learning opportunities. His commitment to sustained investment in skills is crucial for boosting innovation, productivity, and job creation."

She highlighted the strength of Northern Ireland’s skills ecosystem and emphasised the importance of collaboration between education institutions, industry partners as well as other government departments to achieve these goals.

Kathleen added: "By working together, we can empower individuals to reach their full potential, support business success, attract inward investment, and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The vision and implementation of the actions detailed today are key to our future success."