On Friday 22nd February Francie Molloy MLA and Martina Anderson MEP visited a number of local engineering businesses in the South Derry and East Tyrone area to hear at first hand the issues concerning those companies. Later that day they hosted a workshop in the Tilly Lamp, Ardboe focusing on `Training Needs` of the manufacturing and engineering sector within Mid-Ulster.
Attending the event with Francie Molloy and Martina Anderson were a large number of local engineering business directors, representatives of local Training Colleges, Sector Skills Council representatives and local District Council representatives who met to discuss further opportunities for the promotion of training needs for these indigenous mid-Ulster businesses. Francie Molloy has for some time now been calling for a `joined up` approach to be taken in the quest for better training provision for the engineering sector within East Tyrone and South Derry.
Speaking following the event Mr Molloy said,
“I am delighted at the turnout and the interest in today`s event. The need of this growing manufacturing and specialist engineering sector is ever changing. In order to be truly responsive and deliver for both the companies themselves and those apprentices being trained within the specialist engineering sectors, an even stronger joined up approach needs now to be taken. We need to focus on the creation of stronger partnerships between the schools, local training colleges, local councils and the companies themselves. I believe there is in partnership with DEL and the colleges that there is an increased role in which the local councils could also play in this regard. This is something which I believe that the new mid-Ulster council could put an additional focus on. I believe a strong argument could be made for a new specialist training unit located in the mid-ulster area to meet the needs of the specialist engineering and manufacturing sector.”
“My colleague Martina Anderson MEP is the author of two reports currently making their way through the European Parliament focusing on the need for quality apprenticeships and training opportunities as part of a ‘Youth Jobs Guarantee’ and `Growing a Sustainable Economy`. Sinn Féín has also listened attentively to the frustrations of local companies in the overly bureaucratic system facing them in applying to take on new apprenticeships both locally and at EU level. This needs to be changed and replaced with more simplified systems of applications for assistances but at local and also EU level. Sinn Féin will be renewing our efforts to have these changes brought about in order to assist this important local manufacturing sector.”