Lyons announces further Assured Skills Collaborative Welding Academy at North West Regional College

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons has announced the last in a series of four pre-employment welding academies to be delivered at North West Regional College (NWRC).

Assured Skills Collaborative Welding Academy at North West Regional College

The Department for the Economy in conjunction with NWRC are offering an opportunity for 12 individuals to receive industry standard welding training that will provide them with the skills to take up potential welding roles with local companies.

The Collaborative Welding Academy consists of a seven week intensive training course during which participants will study a Level 2 City and Guilds Award in MIG Welding Skills.  Following completion of the training, participants will be guaranteed an interview to take up a welding position at one of the participating companies.

Highlighting the opportunity, the Minister said:

“I am very pleased to announce the fourth Assured Skills Collaborative Welding Academies at North West Regional College in 2021/22.

“People with welding skills are in high demand in our local engineering and manufacturing sector. This Assured Skills Academy will equip participants with these skills, through an industry-recognised qualification, and position them very strongly to kick-start a new career in welding.

“As the final Academy in a series of four at NWRC, this follows on from previous successful Collaborative Welding Academies delivered earlier this year and are part of a wider delivery of welding training at further education colleges and companies across Northern Ireland. This collaborative approach will enable as many participants as possible to gain valuable skills and on successful completion receive a Level 2 City & Guilds welding qualification. I would encourage anyone who is interested to apply for this great opportunity to pursue a rewarding career in the engineering sector.”

Sinead Hawkins, Business Skills Manager at North West Regional College (NWRC), said:

“The NWRC welding academy offers a fantastic opportunity for new fresh talent to progress in the industry by addressing the skills shortage. This has a positive impact on the North West City Region’s local economy by feeding into local business anchors. NWRC are committed to providing a skills guarantee for a post-Covid economy and future labour market.”

Participants will receive £155 per week training allowance, travel expenses and, where eligible, assistance with childcare costs.

Subject to any COVID regulations or restrictions in place at the time, the Academies will be delivered over seven weeks as follows:

• Monday 21 March to Friday 22 April 2022 - College
• Monday 25 April to Friday 6 May 2022 - Workplace consolidation

The online application form must be completed by 12.00 noon on Friday 25th February 2022.

All applicants must be at least 18 years old by Monday 21st March 2022 and eligible to work in the UK. For further information please email your enquiry to assuredskills@economy-ni.gov.uk

Applications are welcome from those who meet the criteria irrespective of religious belief, political opinion, age, sexual orientation, disability, race, marital status, gender, whether or not they have dependents and women returning to the workforce.

Further details and information on how to apply can be found on the nidirect website.

Notes to editors: 

1. The participating companies are:

• McGill Engineering, Strabane
• Carrick Engineering, Strabane
• Smyth Steel Ltd, Garvagh
• Fleming Agri-Products Ltd, Newbuildings, Londonderry
• AC Engineering, Limavady
• KT Trucks, Garvagh
• Farlow Engineering, Garvagh
• Maine Group Ltd, Coleraine and Garvagh

2. Assured Skills is a pre-employment training programme run by the Department for the Economy. More information is available on the DfE website.

3. To keep up to date with news from the Department you can follow us on the following social media channels:

• Twitter – @Economy_NI 
• Facebook – @EconomyNI
• Skills to Succeed Facebook
• Instagram – economy_ni
• LinkedIn – Department for the Economy NI

4. For media enquiries contact the Department for the Economy Press Office at pressoffice@economy-ni.gov.uk.

5. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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