Employers

How your company can get involved

Building the future pipeline of skills is key to maintaining Mid Ulster’s reputation for its skilled workforce. There are numerous ways you can inspire young people from all backgrounds to progress into further Engineering study and Manufacturing careers.

If your company would like to join the MEGA network please click here. Link set on live domain.

The most commonly cited by employers are:

Helping determine the quality of future employees:
Employers can help improve the quality and preparedness of young people coming onto the labour market.

Developing recruitment channels:
Building links with local schools can help attract school leavers into jobs and can reduce recruitment costs.

Influencing career choices:
Many employers have found that work experience placements are the ideal way of raising the profile of career opportunities within their organisation and, in some cases, of dispelling unwarranted stereotyped views.

Raising the community profile:
Work experience placements provide a valuable means of creating a positive image amongst young people, teachers, parents and employees. As a result, employers see work experience as an important route to raising their profile in the community.

Creation of Management development opportunities:
The process of policy development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of work experience programmes gives scope for employees to develop their management and coaching skills and widen their experience. For many employees, mentoring a work experience student may be their first glimpse into people management, and for employers it can be an important demonstration of potential for future managerial roles.

Low cost skills development of staff:
The student workplace supervisors benefit from developing interpersonal, presentation and team working skills. They often gain self-confidence and a sense of worth through their contribution to the development of a young person. Supporting work experience can provide evidence for appraisal systems.

Increased motivation of employees:
Companies participating in education-business link activities have found that such activities increase the motivation of their employees.

Reinforcing good health and safety processes:
Having to work through an induction with a young person allows the organisation to review current working practices and allows the opportunity to refresh employees on current health & safety procedures and requirements.

A Fresh Perspective:
Students ask questions and bring a new perspective to routine tasks. They often have fresh solutions, or time to research alternative approaches.

Tangible Outcomes:
Students can undertake planned projects that staff have not had time to manage.

MEGA Inspired Teacher Placements

Showcase your business or department by hosting a MEGA Inspired Teacher Placement to education staff.

• Build long term partnership with local schools and colleges.
• Help inspire a more diverse future workforce.
• Embed knowledge of skills and opportunities.

Contact MEGA for further details on how to arrange a MEGA Inspired Teacher Placement to education staff.

An apprenticeship is a program that as an employer you can utilise to help your workers become skilled in a trade suitable for the needs of your business. Apprenticeships combine hands-on work with classroom learning so that as the apprentice is learning, they are also applying the lessons in a practical way through working.

An apprenticeship can give your employee the training and qualifications they need to get ahead and meet your business needs. The qualifications for Level 2 and Level 3 are set out in a framework. They have been devised by industry bodies together with the Sector Skills Council and are therefore tailored to ensure they meet the needs of your industry. Framework provision is subject to confirmation.

• Level 2 frameworks for Apprenticeships on the nidirect website-nidirect level-2
• Level 3 frameworks for Apprenticeships on the nidirect website-nidirect level-3
• Apprenticeships 25+ Frameworks on the nidirect website-nidirect 25 and over

What is the Assured Skills Programme?

The Assured Skills programme is a joint programme between the Department for the Economy (DfE) Northern Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland. It has been in existence since 2010/11 and since then, has promoted a total of 5,371 jobs. Once all jobs have been realised it will inject an additional £141m into the Northern Ireland economy.

The Assured Skills programme seeks to assure potential investors, and existing employers considering expansion, that the skills they need to support a growing business can be found in Northern Ireland. It does this by employing all of DfE’s responsibilities for the higher and further education sectors and the Department’s skills and training programmes.

Current academies are advertised in local newspapers and online resources including jobcentreonline, nidirect, nijobs, recruitni and social media.

Assured Skills supports the company’s business plan by:

• Adding value to their training and skills development activity by facilitating links with the further education and university sectors
• Designing bespoke training solutions
• Supporting recruitment and other pre-employment activities

For more information, follow this link

Upskill or Reskill your staff

There are many options available to upskill or reskill your staff and in order to assist with the cost of doing so, you may also be eligible for up to 75% funded training. The Department for the Economy has made upskilling a priority to grow our economy and meet its changing demands. DfE can provide financial support of up to 75% of the cost of enhancing the skills of your workforce.

For more information, follow this link