Belfast Lord Mayor Celebrates Success Of Employment Academies

Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Micky Murray highlighted the importance of jobs and skills development during a visit to City Hall and St George's Market on Tuesday, 08 October.

The Lord Mayor attended a Belfast Employment Academies Celebration event at City Hall and toured the Belfast Jobs Fair. Both initiatives were made possible with funding from the Belfast Labour Market Partnership in collaboration with Belfast City Council.

The council's Professional Services Employment Academies, launched in 2022, offer an alternative pathway into the sector for individuals who may be unemployed, underemployed, or seeking career advancement. Participants undergo a rigorous aptitude assessment before completing a comprehensive academy program that combines classroom instruction and on-the-job training.

Three recent cohorts of Belfast residents successfully completed their Employment Academies, specializing in Business Services or Technology. A remarkable 81% of these graduates have secured employment, while the remaining participants are continuing their training to enhance their job prospects.

Last year, nearly 610 individuals completed Belfast City Council Employment Academies in various fields, including Business Services, Fibre, Health & Social Care, Irish Medium, Logistics, Technology, Working with Children, and Working at Sea. To date, an impressive 88% of academy graduates have transitioned into employment, and over 200 participants have received additional support through further training. Speaking to 27 employment academy participants at the celebration event, the Lord Mayor said: "It's wonderful to take a moment to celebrate your success with you after completing our recent Professional Services Employment Academies. Be proud of the valuable new skills and knowledge you've developed – and for many of you, be proud of the jobs you've secured as a result. I hope that we have helped you to progress and grow – and I know that we have helped employers reach into untapped talent pool.

"Today, Belfast is a well-established location for global professional services in accounting, administration, finance, human resources, legal, technical and technology support. The city and regional demand for tech skills, including software development and engineering surged throughout the pandemic and it's continuing to grow across all sectors of the economy as businesses have moved to remote and hybrid working and are digitising their supply chains.

"I'd like to thank our private sector employers for their work with us. It's a win-win – residents receive the tailored training they need, and employers benefit from the high-quality talent pipeline that we're helping to create. Belfast City Council is focused on achieving inclusive economic growth – and helping to create a city where everyone can share in the benefits of growth and opportunity, regardless of their background or circumstances. Through our range of employment academies, and initiatives like our Belfast Jobs Fair today at St George's Market, we're helping to address some of Belfast's key challenges by giving people the tools they need to succeed in life and access to employment opportunities.

"The success of (the) Belfast Jobs Fair and Employment Academy celebration is testament to the hard work and dedication of all our partners, helping to break down barriers to employment and helping people to take the next step. They're a shining example of what can be achieved when we work together to create opportunities for everyone in our city."

The Belfast Jobs Fair brought together over 60 employers and employability support organisations, including Gateway to Choices (G2C) and offered over 1,000 current job vacancies.

For more information on how Belfast City Council is helping residents take the next step into employment and training, go to www.belfastcity.gov.uk/employability