Skills fund 'to boost workforce'

Skills such as plumbing were the focus of the launch

A £35m fund to help boost the skills base in Northern Ireland has been unveiled by NI Secretary Peter Hain.

Mr Hain said the two year package for the Skills and Science Fund at the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education was a "shot in the arm".

He said the skills base of the local workforce must increase to keep and attract jobs.

"Business is attracted by a strong skills base and that's what the new fund is all about," he said.

Skills such as plumbing and sheet metal work were the focus of the launch.

The three pronged approach is to prepare young people for the future, get people out of work, back into jobs and to get science and to enable technology research to create jobs and wealth in the market place.

The Belfast Institute - which hopes to benefit from a portion of the funding - is training 400 technology apprentices and also helps schools educate pupils who do not want to follow the academic route.

Mr Hain said the skills base must increase to keep and attract jobs.

"Unless Northern Ireland becomes internationally renowned for its skills base, we have no prospect of winning new business and creating the high class jobs necessary to ensure prosperity and growth," he said.

Mr Hain insisted the science track must run "in parallel" to the skills base with the promotion of closer links between industry and scientific research capacity.

He said the fund would also support better collaboration between schools, colleges and training organisations and the development of a new "pre-apprenticeship programme" for the 14-16 age groups.