AQW 24441/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 14/03/2025
Answered On Date: 21/03/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any support she is providing to support upskill programmes to tackle economic inactivity among women.

Answer:

My department provides a range of programmes, through our skills and education remit, which are designed to support women, and those from other under-represented groups who face barriers to employment. This is a key feature of the Skills Fund that my colleague Conor Murphy launched last July with an investment of almost £12m, facilitating skills interventions.

Our Step Up Project delivers a Women Returners Access Programme (WRAP) delivered across our Further Education colleges to support women in building confidence, gain skills, and prepare for employment opportunities.

Funding has been provided for a series of Women Returners initiatives to help individuals use learning to gain the confidence and skills to re-enter the workforce. The programme provides skills and training for up to 200 women, with the potential for a work placement and access to employment opportunities.

We also have All Age Apprenticeships in place now, as well as an Apprenticeship Inclusion Challenge Fund to increase apprenticeship uptake and encouraging those from under-represented groups, including women, to consider apprenticeships as an upskilling opportunity.