Vital links between education and business

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Sir Reg Empey has said that education and business are implicitly linked in securing the future development of Northern Ireland’s economy.

The Minister was speaking at the Association of Northern Ireland Education and Library Boards’ (ANIELB) annual conference, which was held at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle.

Addressing the conference he said: “The education system produces the employees as well as the employers of the future and it is vital that our young people are equipped with the skills and discipline needed to contribute towards a successful economy.

“We need to harness the expertise and support of the business sector in promoting a culture of enterprise and to show young people, in a very practical way, the skills they require in a modern economy. This is why business education partnerships, on the ground at local school and community level, are so important in determining the economic performance of today and tomorrow.”

The Minister went on to outline the challenge in this area revealing that only one in 50 of the adult population in Northern Ireland were involved in starting their own business compared to one in ten in the US and one in 25 in the UK as a whole.

Sir Reg continued: “It is therefore abundantly clear that we need to increase the business ‘birth rate’ in Northern Ireland, as such entrepreneurial activity is closely linked to the creation of a successful economy. Obviously we have a long way to go, but much work is taking place in this area.”

The Minister outlined his department’s objectives in working closely with the education sector. This includes the creation of awareness amongst young people of the importance of business formation to economic development, the development of a positive attitude to business success and the motivation for individuals to seek careers in business. (MB)