Apprenticeship Week, led by the Department for the Economy, aims to raise the profile of apprenticeships across Northern Ireland.

The Lagan Valley MLA has said: “Apprenticeships are a key way to strengthen and grow our skill base. We are seeing a growing number of employers of all sizes and across a huge variety of sectors recognise this route as an opportune way to fill vacancies and support growth.

“The latest Employer Skills Survey showed there were nearly 40,000 vacancies in Northern Ireland, 13,700 of which were deemed skill-shortage vacancies. This is why the delivery of the Skills Strategy is so important, which includes a ring-fenced skills fund and long-term commitment to all-age apprenticeships.

“One area I am particularly passionate about is how we can create and grow apprenticeship opportunities to support our health and social care sector. This requires cross-departmental working, and is something I will be speaking to both the Health Minister and Economy Minister about.

“I will continue to push for the expansion of apprenticeship opportunities and the support available to both the people undertaking apprenticeships and the employers offering them.”