The Enniskillen campus for South West College (SWC) will play its full part in NI Apprenticeship week in 2020 with Ciaran McManus, Assistant Deputy Director at the College and also head of Industry and Training, stating that the College is the largest provider of Apprenticeships in Northern Ireland.

Apprenticeship week 2020 was launched last week by the Department of Economy with its associated map of events across Northern Ireland not showing anything happening in the Fermanagh or Omagh.

However, Mr. McManus said there were events in the pipeline.

“I welcome the Department of Economy’s Apprenticeship week.

“It provides a great focus for the raising of awareness around apprenticeships. at SWC we have a 52 week of the year focus on building apprenticeships as they provide excellent opportunities for young people to enter education and employment simultaneously and also provide talent pipelines for local industry.

SWC planning apprentice best practice case studies for Fermanagh and Omagh during apprenticeship week.”

SWC provide over 1000 apprenticeships including 230 students who are enrolled on a Higher-Level Apprenticeship where learners have the opportunity to work while also receiving an additional qualification.

“At SWC we have grown to become largest provider of work based learning ( apprenticeship and traineeships) in the Further Education sector we work all year round through structured engagement with employers and school children and their parents to grow provision, providing opportunities for young people to enter education and employment simultaneously and earn while they learn,” Mr. McManus stated.

The Deputy Director at the College went on to say that the links with local industry and business are very strong with 300 employers coming into the College each year to speak to students about opportunities that exist with Mr. McManus stating that “apprenticeships build talent pipelines for local industry.”

Officially launching Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week 2020, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Economy Heather Cousins said:

“I am delighted to launch the first ever Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week which will run from 3 to 7 February 2020. Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week provides the opportunity for everyone involved in apprenticeships, or interested in finding out more about apprenticeships, to come together during a week-long programme of apprenticeship events and activity.”