Other News In Brief

New Digital Engineering Academy Announced

Twenty new high-quality training places have been created on a new Digital Engineering Academy with EY.

Fully funded by the Department for the Economy, the Academy will be a blend of onsite and online learning delivered in partnership with Belfast Met from 14 October to 13 December 2024. Learning will provide practical experience and access to the resources needed to develop skills and business knowledge regarding all aspects of digital engineering.

Participants who successfully complete the Academy are guaranteed a job interview for a role at EY.

Highlighting the opportunity, Economy Minister Conor Murphy said: "If you are just entering the workforce or thinking of a change, this Digital Engineering Academy provides an exciting opportunity to develop a career with a major multinational company.

"With further opportunities for successful applicants to gain industry recognised certifications to advance your career within EY, I would encourage everyone who is eligible and interested to apply."

Rob Heron, EY Northern Ireland Managing Partner, said: "EY is delighted to launch our fourth Assured Skills Academy in association with the Department for the Economy (DfE) and Belfast Met in less than 12 months. The Academy programme has already supported the creation of a number of permanent new roles within EY NI and plays a vital role in enabling us to meet client demand across our wide range of services and offerings. The latest Academy, focused on Digital Engineering, is a particularly exciting programme and will equip participants with skills across a broad range of areas including Application Development, Systems Integration and Digital Sustainability."

Siobhan Lyons, Director of Development and Partnerships at Belfast Met, said: "We are delighted to be delivering the Digital Engineering Academy with EY. The development of skills is a vital key element in helping our economy to develop and grow. The industry relevant pre-employment training provided by Belfast Met will provide Academy participants with the opportunity to develop the requisite skills to gain employment within the professional services sector and we very much look forward to welcoming our new cohort of learners."

Participants will receive a training allowance of £175 per week for the duration of the Academy.

Applications are open now and close at midnight on Monday 2 September 2024.

Applicants must be over 18 years old, be eligible to work in the UK, and hold an honours degree in any subject. No experience in the digital engineering sector is required.

Green Party Condemns 'Deplorable' Violence In South Belfast

The Green Party NI have condemned the violence and intimidation committed in South Belfast on Saturday, 03 August.

Green Party Councillor for the Botanic DEA, Áine Groogan, said: "The orchestrated and cynical racist attacks we saw on our streets yesterday are deplorable. People's livelihoods have gone up in smoke, people have been injured and so many more are left in fear because of the actions of a small number of thugs who were intent on causing harm to quite frankly anyone they perceived to be from a migrant community. "I was proud to stand with hundreds of people at Belfast City Hall yesterday afternoon at an anti-racist rally, where over 70 organisations came together to quickly respond to the threat of fascist organising on the streets of our city. Those people represent the true values of our city and we all have a duty to challenge racism & xenophobia whenever we see it.

"I'm incredibly concerned that people feel emboldened by what has been happening over recent days and months, and they have been spurred on by political leaders, right-wing press outlets and unregulated social media channels who have allowed misinformation and hate speech to spread and allowed people's lives to be used as political footballs in their stoking of phoney culture wars in order to detract from their own failings of leadership. It is morally reprehensible to allow some of the most vulnerable members of our society to be scapegoated for the failures of government to tackle socio-economic disadvantage.

"I have been around and spoken to some of the people affected by the disorder in my constituency today and I'm honestly heartbroken for them; but I'm also ashamed that we all collectively have allowed this to happen. Questions must be asked why after repeated threats to businesses, after widespread online organising of an unnotified procession and vandalism earlier in their day things were still able to escalate to the level they did last night.

"It's also not good enough for some political leaders to come out after buildings are up in smoke to condemn the violence. The time to condemn what was happening was when there was a mob roaming the streets of South Belfast looking for trouble. All political leaders must be unequivocal in condemning what we saw yesterday and proactively work together to challenge racism in all of its forms.

"We have called for a special council meeting to take place urgently to ensure a cross-party response, but we need to see more than empty words. People affected need urgent practical support, but we also need to actively target the elements within our society who are stirring up discontent & those that are facilitating them."

Alliance Announce Jamie Harpur As New Councillor For Castlereagh South

The Alliance Party has announced the selection of Jamie Harpur to replace Michelle Guy as councillor for Castlereagh South on the party's Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council team.

It follows the co-option of Ms Guy into the Assembly seat left vacant when former Lagan Valley MLA Sorcha Eastwood was elected to Westminster in this year's general election.

Jamie has lived in Belfast since moving to the city to study history and politics at Queen's University. In his professional career, he has gone on to work in the Castlereagh area with charities such as Autism Initiatives.

Mr Harpur has said: "Firstly, I want to thank Michelle for her years of service at Council. I have no doubt she will continue to serve everyone in Lagan Valley with the same passion, empathy, and determination in the Assembly.

"It's an incredible honour to be given the opportunity to continue her work representing the people of Castlereagh South, and to join such a diverse, dynamic, and rapidly growing Alliance team at Lisburn and Castlereagh Council, reflected in the history-making election of Sorcha as MP for the area just weeks ago.

"Among other issues, I want to focus particularly on improving residents' access to services and amenities, seeking to create a local community hub here in Castlereagh South, and securing further funding for the area through increasing residents' ability to access community grants.

"I can't wait to hit the ground running, getting out there and engaging with the community on what matters to them, championing the voices of every resident in Castlereagh South."