As an Alliance, we have been working with the Department for the Economy on the development of a Collaborative Assured Skills Academy, delivered via our membership and targeted at retraining individuals specifically in the discipline of software engineering.
Assured Skills is a demand-led, pre-employment training programme which helps individuals gain the skills they need to compete for guaranteed job vacancies, both with new Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) companies and expanding locally based businesses.
Designed to be a short, sharp industry-focused training intervention, the programmes are usually delivered to meet the skills requirements of an individual company, however Collaborative Assured Skills Academies can be developed for a group.
This is where a group of typically four to six companies with common vacancies and skills needs can work to deliver a collaborative academy, and is where we think the Software Alliance membership will gain the most benefit.
Over the last 5 years, over 50 IT-related academies have been delivered, with over 1,000 individuals from Northern Ireland upskilled, with 900 securing employment with the participating companies. The programmes are fully funded by the Department for the Economy, and typically consist of 20 participants and last between 8 – 10 weeks.
As we develop this academy in line with the Department, we wish to invite members to an online information session where they can find out more, express an interest in delivering an academy, and seek out other member companies with similar skills needs.
