Debate contribution: Apprenticeships

Debate contribution by Mr Gary Middleton on 5 March 2024.

MLA

Mr Gary Middleton

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

5 March 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Apprenticeships

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4252969

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I am glad that Mr Honeyford did not summarise the speeches of all the Members, because that is what I plan to do. However, it is worthwhile to summarise what, I think, we would all agree has been a positive debate on the motion and the amendment. That is something that we can take heart in. I will begin with a few remarks of my own. It is imperative that we invest in programmes that empower our citizens with the skills and knowledge that they need to succeed in the workforce. Apprenticeships, with their unique blend of academic and practical training, play a pivotal role in achieving that goal. From an economic standpoint, apprenticeships provide a vital pipeline of skilled workers for industries that face labour shortages. By partnering with businesses and training partners, apprenticeships ensure that individuals acquire the specific skills that employers seek. I also very much support apprenticeships on the basis that they promote social inclusion and provide opportunities for people from all backgrounds to succeed. To fully deliver inclusivity of our apprenticeship offering, we must address the gender gap. A recent Northern Ireland Affairs Committee inquiry into investment in Northern Ireland heard evidence that women are poorly represented in apprenticeships, specifically in STEM jobs. It is crucial that the Department, in delivering the skills strategy, tackles the factors that have led to some apprenticeship initiatives becoming male-dominated. There is no doubt that more needs to be done to improve entry routes and career progression across the public sector as well. I thank the Minister for being here, participating in the debate and listening to the many contributions. My colleague Phillip Brett moved the motion and accepted the amendment. He welcomed the economic vision set out by the Minister in terms of good jobs. He also recognised the 10X strategy and the endorsement that that has from businesses and economic leaders in bridging the skills gap. He assured the Minister of DUP support for addressing the issue. He also spoke strongly about North Belfast. We will forgive him for that, considering that he hears about the north-west at every opportunity. He has been a strong advocate for North Belfast, and he spoke of the many organisations in his constituency that work in supporting apprenticeships. It is important that we recognise the great work that is being done in all of our constituencies, that we do not disregard that and that we appreciate it. However, more can be done. Finally, he summed up by saying that there is a need for joined-up thinking and a wrap-around careers advice service. Sorcha Eastwood welcomed the motion and the amendment, which focuses on education. She spoke about education and skills being a passport for life. She said that apprenticeships very much offer an opportunity and a gateway. She also highlighted the fact that, on a UK-wide basis, participation in apprenticeships remains lowest in Northern Ireland. Sorcha also spoke about the impact that the loss of EU funding has had on apprenticeships and recognised that there are financial difficulties across Departments. We are all alive to that fact, but we have to ensure that we invest for the future. There were so many other points, but a common theme that we heard from Sorcha and others was on careers advice and the need to empower people. The apprenticeship levy was mentioned alongside an acceptance that Northern Ireland is made up of SMEs and that we must support them with apprenticeship development. Mr McGuigan — Philip — spoke about the Minister's economic vision. He highlighted the loss of EU funding and the inadequacy, from his point of view, of the Shared Prosperity Fund and the gap that it has left. He highlighted the benefits of nursing apprenticeships to that sector. He also highlighted the potential that the green sector and the energy strategy have to create additional jobs. Mike Nesbitt highlighted the importance of a skills fund and his party's support for it. He also highlighted some of the best practice across Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. He mentioned an event at Parliament Buildings earlier for the publication of the document, 'Democracy at Work: Social Dialogue and the Tripartite Model'. He highlighted a debate that the Economy Committee had on what it means to have a good job. From his perspective, a good job is one that a person takes pride in, that society values and that the employer awards appropriately. We will, no doubt, come back to that as we continue to work through the economic vision on the Economy Committee. Sinéad McLaughlin said that apprenticeships are fundamental to driving economic growth and bringing people back into the labour market. Once again, she highlighted the issue of EU funding and said that we need to find ways to make up lost ground. She highlighted the comments of Stephen Kelly from Manufacturing NI on the availability of labour and the shortage of labour in particular sectors. She also highlighted the need to find a balance between the further and higher education sectors and to invest where the need is greatest in terms of regional imbalance. Pádraig Delargy spoke about his engagement with local businesses Terex and Nuprint. He spoke of some of the concerns that we have all heard in relation to removing barriers to apprenticeships, such as age, gender, qualifications. He then highlighted some specific challenges with North/South relations, which the Minister responded to, such as the impact of apprenticeships in border communities. He also highlighted careers guidance and the particular challenges that exist in nursing. My colleague Jonny Buckley spoke positively about apprenticeships and about the need to recognise and celebrate their value in society. He spoke about his personal experience, and he has our sympathy for having to sit down with our colleague Keith Buchanan. That example highlights the fact that apprentices come from all walks of life and backgrounds, which we should very much celebrate. He also paid tribute to previous Economy Ministers, Gordon Lyons and Diane Dodds, for what they did to progress apprenticeships. It is important that we put that on record. Near the end, Stewart Dickson, chair of the all-party group on social enterprise, spoke of the transformative power of apprenticeships, the need for a dedicated skills fund and the wide-ranging benefits of apprenticeships on that sector. Steve Aiken, as chair of the all-party group on STEM, highlighted some of the frustrations with the student cap and the impact that it has on various sectors. He mentioned the apprenticeship levy and the process for improving it. Finally, the Minister spoke about his economic vision and the four priority areas in that. He answered queries from across the Chamber, and then Mr Honeyford summed up. The debate has been encouraging. The tone has been set for how we will go forward to address a number of the issues and challenges. They will be addressed only by working collaboratively across all sectors; the issue is too big for scoring political points. We can really make a difference on it in the short time that remains in the mandate. I commend the motion and the amendment to the House.

1,197 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not qualifying

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:50 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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