Business in the Community’s Citywide Employers’ Forum received a boosting endorsement when the Employment Minister and The Lord Mayor of Belfast heard directly from a number of people the Forum has helped since work started in January of this year.
Designed to help people in some of the most deprived areas of Belfast find work and start changing their lives for good, the Forum is sponsored by Lagan Construction Group, Belfast City Council, Bombardier Aerospace and the Department for Employment & Learning. It works alongside community employability bodies to develop business-led initiatives which help those who are unemployed to develop new skills and assist them into sustained employment.
“This initiative in partnership with my Department, Belfast City Council and the private sector will help and support the Employers’ Forum and their work with the unemployed right across the city. It is vital that employers, local authorities, the voluntary sector and government departments work together to provide innovative solutions during this challenging economic period. The Citywide Employers’ Forum will deliver a programme of employment interventions that will assist the unemployed and economically inactive individuals to move into sustained employment and address skills deficits in sectors key to future jobs growth.”Dr Stephen Farry, Employment and Learning Minister
“I’m absolutely delighted that £75,000 has been made available through the Council`s Investment Programme to support the Citywide Employers’ Forum and improve the employment prospects of unemployed citizens, at a time when it must often seem like the odds are stacked against them. This positive partnership, through the Citywide Employers’ Forum, will help those most in need to access a range of employer-led training and work placement opportunities which in turn will enable them to better navigate the labour market.”Alderman Gavin Robinson, Lord Mayor of Belfast