Dodds announces another new skills initiative in response to the pandemic

Date published: 8 July 2020

The Minister confirmed 100 fully funded places for the part-time PgCert with Queen’s University Belfast.

The part-time course, starting in August, is open to people whose careers have been impacted by the pandemic and who have a 2:2 honours degree in any subject or appropriate work experience.

Highlighting this further investment in the local skills base, the Minister said:

"This is a fantastic opportunity for people with degrees in any subject, or appropriate work experience, and whose careers have been affected by the pandemic, to study, at no cost, in a growth area and potentially secure employment in the future.

"Queen’s University will deliver the learning ‘virtually’ and participants who complete the course will be strongly positioned to compete for roles in this growing sector, or choose to go on and study for a Master's.

“This investment follows my Department’s funding of a postgraduate certificate in software development at Queen’s. This opportunity was very popular and I am pleased that we were able to expand it from 100 to 150 fully funded places.”

The PgCert in Operations and Supply Chain Management is a part-time course and will run from 17 August to 30 November 2020. Applications are being accepted now and the closing date for applications is 24 July.

Professor Nola Hewitt-Dundas, Head of Queen’s Management School commented: “Working closely with our stakeholders we have responded to their request for a Postgraduate course to provide much needed skills to businesses and the wider Northern Ireland economy. In this course we emphasise the importance of building sustainable, ethical and efficient supply chains. Students will learn how to develop sustainable, global operations and supply chains.”

The part-time PgCert is open to those who have been furloughed, lost their job, are economically inactive, or are self-employed and lost their income because of the pandemic. Applicants must either hold a 2:2 honours degree in any subject, or have appropriate work experience, or a degree of lower classification with one year’s work experience, or alternatively have a minimum of five years’ work experience.

All applicants must have access to a computer and internet connection.

Visit the postgraduate certificate in supply chain and operations management page for more information and to apply.