AQW 50024/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 30/06/2026
Answered On Date: 07/07/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any steps that are being taken to expand access to flexible and affordable skills and training provision for parents with caring responsibilities, given evidence that access to training among low income working parents remains limited.

Answer:

My Department recently consulted on a review of the approach to widening participation in higher education, which recognised the barriers faced by those with caring responsibilities and proposed their inclusion within the priority group framework.

Building on this wider policy work, my Department also seeks to improve access through Assured Skills Academies, where training hours and delivery times are considered during academy development and adapted where appropriate to support participants with caring responsibilities.

To reduce financial barriers, participants receive a weekly training allowance of £185, with support for travel and childcare expenses for the duration of training.