On 6 February, e-skills UK launched its Northern Ireland Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) for IT – a ten year vision and three year action plan for IT skills development in Northern Ireland. Over the next three years, e-skills UK will work with employers and other partners to deliver the following collaborative programmes in Northern Ireland:

• Provide support for careers advisers in Northern Ireland to promote an up to date and positive understanding of IT career options, skills needs and development routes.
• Establish a Higher Education/Industry Forum to bring employers and universities together to share issues and ensure higher education understands and can respond to employer needs.
• Support the growth of the IT workforce in Northern Ireland with the development of focused skills frameworks for IT professionals.
• Align the roll out of the ITQ qualification and e-skills Passport assessment tool for IT users to support Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) policies for qualifications reform and Further Education provision.

The SSA has been developed by e-skills UK with Momentum, the trade association for ICT companies in Northern Ireland, employers, educators and government. 

For copies of the Sector Skills Agreement for IT in Northern Ireland, please go to www.e-skills.com/nissa

(Pictured: Michael Crow, Head of Application Services (Northern Ireland), Fujitsu Services and Karen Price, CEO, e-skills UK)