Debate contribution: Workplace Access: Young People with a Disability
Debate contribution by Dr Caoimhe Archibald on .
- MLA
- Dr Caoimhe Archibald
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 1 April 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Workplace Access: Young People with a Disability
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4876868
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Getting young people with a disability into a good job is a critical part of my economic vision. The loss of European social fund (ESF) funding has had a significant impact and has significantly reduced the skills and training support available to disabled people. Despite that, we continue to work closely with the Department for Communities, which is the lead Department on disability, including the disability and work strategy. My Department makes an important contribution through a range of programmes and services, which include such programmes as SKILL UP, Step Up and Skills for Life and Work. The apprenticeships programme also provides additional support to assist disabled people with their off-the-job training. There is also the Breaking Barriers programme, which specifically targets those who are disabled or neurodivergent and are over the age of 18. Finally, I expect to receive a report from my officials soon on the work that they have been doing on provision for young people with special educational needs.
163 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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