Debate contribution: Skills Gaps between Young People and Businesses
Debate contribution by Ms Emma Sheerin on .
- MLA
- Ms Emma Sheerin
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 30 September 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Skills Gaps between Young People and Businesses
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5142945
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Like others, I support the motion and welcome its coming before the House. It is on an issue that we all deal with when we are contacted by constituents, and it is important that we highlight the role of Alma White's campaign for support for young people with special and additional educational needs, because that support often falls between two stools. My colleague Mr Delargy outlined how the Department is working on that, and we want to see progress made. Change is needed to the Department of Education funding models under which our schools are almost pressured into keeping on for A levels students who perhaps know that doing A levels is not the right fit for them. I commend schools, particularly those in my constituency, that think outside the box and engage with local businesses to show our young people opportunities beyond the traditional academic route. I think particularly of St Colm's High School in Ballinascreen, which, last year, held a job fair. It invited local employers and got young people talking to people whom they will potentially work with in future. It was about showing young people that there are different routes to success and different career paths open to them and that it is not always about following the GCSE, A-level and university route, which often does not work for people. I also highlight the work of South West College (SWC) in the Mid Ulster District Council area. It does a lot of work on apprenticeships. I was delighted to attend its open day back in the spring, and meet so many really inspiring young people who are refreshing in their outlook, taking the bull by the horns, learning new trades and getting into fields of work that were not even in existence when I was at school, such as robotics, AI and different technologies, and learning how to adapt and develop their skills in all that. I will not repeat everything that has already been said. This has been a collegial debate. We are all on the same page. We all want to see our young people afforded more opportunities and improve their skills. In that regard, I support the motion and the amendment.
368 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.83).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.83 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.98 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Education structures, integration and community division | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:16 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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