Close to £40 million in education funding has been awarded to projects in the border counties which it is hoped will help train 10,000 people.
Five projects will benefit from the £38.5m (€46m) PEACEPLUS funding, which will focus on what is described as “key growth sectors”, including digital and green technologies.
It is hoped it “will develop and upskill 10,000 people to engage on key growth sectors, which will boost economic growth and create a more balanced regional economy”.
The Southeast Higher Education/Further Education/Industry Cross-Border Alliance (SECBA) initiative is “a collaborative skills partnership which aims to bridge the gap between educational outputs and evolving industrial needs” based around Monaghan, Cavan, Louth, Armagh and south Down.
A Northwest Digital Employment Pathways Training Hub (NW DEPTH) wants to make sure 1,000 people advance in training in digital and cybersecurity.
The Green Accelerator Skills Programme (GRASP) Action Plan includes training for women “to promote green apprenticeships and develop and deliver a residential carbon literacy programme”.
Skills Connect is aimed at training in digitalisation and new and emerging markets while CyberQuest hopes to “improve equal access to inclusive and quality services in education, training and lifelong learning through developing accessible infrastructure, including by fostering resilience for distance and online education and training”.
Economy Minister Conor Murphy said: “I’m delighted to see this investment in skills, which are essential to our economic development. These initiatives will help reduce our skills gap - across the island - especially in underrepresented groups.”
Patrick O’Donovan TD, the higher education and science minister, added: “This is the first time that skills have been prioritised in such a strategic way in the PEACE programmes.
“Each of the projects have a strong sub-regional focus across the programme area, and they have a clear responsibility to bring the peace dividend to hard-to-reach communities on both sides of the border. I sincerely hope that the opportunity presented by these projects is embraced by all.”
The five-year £1.14bn PEACEPLUS programme, funded by the European Union, the UK, Ireland and the Executive, is designed to promote peace and prosperity across the north and the border counties.
SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: “This funding will support five area-based approaches, designed to address evidenced skills gaps, which will result in increased productivity and employment and higher levels of cross-border labour mobility.
“The programme and the joined-up approach will enable cross-community and cross-border collaboration between education and training-based collaborations that maximise the capacity of the programme area to address existing and emerging skills gaps, and opportunities for reskilling. “Economic development in post-conflict regions is vital in underpinning peace.
“Investment in the economy, providing support for SMEs, research, and innovation in specific areas of need are among the key focus areas for the PEACEPLUS Delivering Socio-Economic Regeneration and Transformation theme.”
