Northern Ireland Skills Council

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The Northern Ireland Skills Council (NISC) is an advisory body which provides strategic advice on issues pertaining to the development and implementation of skills policy. The Council primarily focuses on the Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland - ‘Skills for a 10x Economy’ - but also considers the broader context of the underpinning importance of skills in meeting the objectives of the economic vision for Northern Ireland "10x Economy: Northern Ireland’s Decade of Innovation".

Notice board
Skills Council meetings scheduled for:
25 September 2024 – venue tbc
2 December 2024 – venue tbc
Minutes of previous meetings are available: Northern Ireland Skills Council minutes

Chair and members

NI Skills Council

The NISC has been designed to involve representatives from the main areas of interest: industry (both employers and employees), academia, local and central government, and the third sector. The membership includes a mix of publicly appointed members and ex-officio members.  The publicly appointed members consist of:

  • one chair
  • five members from a business background
  • one member from a trade union background
  • one member from the community/voluntary sector.

The ex-officio (that is, an appointment by virtue of holding another office) and associated members are nominated by specific organisations. 

Chair

Mrs Kathleen O'Hare - chair, NI Skills Council

The chair (by public appointment) is Kathleen O'Hare.

 

 

 

 

 

Members

NI Skills Council members
NI Skills Council, September 2023

Members by public appointment Member background
Caroline van der Feltz Business
Annie Millar Business
Ann Morgan Business
Mary Meehan Business
Dr Frances Weldon Business
Mark Langhammer Trade union
Deborah O'Hare Community and voluntary sector

Information on the chair and publicly appointed members can be found at: 

Ex-officio Organisation
Adrian McCreesh Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE)
Leo Murphy

Tertiary Education Senior Leaders Group (FE)
Prof Paul Bartholomew Tertiary Education Senior Leaders Group (HE)
Liam Devine NICVA
Clare Caulfield

NIC Irish Congress of Trade Unions
Ben Friel NUS-USI
Gerry Campbell

Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment
Gareth Hetherington Ulster University Economic Policy Centre (UUEPC)
Gordon Parkes NI Business Alliance
Lee Ann Panglea CIPD
Advisory members Organisation
Niall Casey Invest NI
Moira Doherty Department for the Economy
Linsey Farrell Department of Education
Deirdre Ward Department for Communities

Sub-committee to the Skills Council

  • Skills Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (SEDI) – Chair, Caroline van der Feltz
  • Skills Supply Task and Finish Group – Chair, Gerry Campbell  
  • Digital Skills Industry Reference Group  - TBC  
  • Green Energy Skills Industry Reference Group  - Chair, Gordon Parkes

Publications

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